IFN-beta regulates CD73 and adenosine expression at the blood-brain barrier

IFN-beta treatment reduces the relapse rate in MS but its mechanism of action remains incompletely understood. Our aim was to clarify the beneficial effect of IFN-beta in the treatment of MS. We assessed the influence of IFN-beta treatment on (i) CD73 expression on the surface of primary cultures of human blood-brain barrier endothelial cells (BBB-EC) and human astrocytes using immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry, (ii) transmigration of CD4+ T lymphocytes using an in vitro model of BBB and (iii) CD73 enzyme activity, i.e. ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity in the serum of MS patients using a radiochemical assay. IFN-beta increases the expression of ecto-5'-nucleotidase both on BBB-EC and astrocytes. As a consequence, lymphocyte transmigration through BBB-EC is reduced. Importantly, this reduction can be reversed using alpha,beta-methyleneadenosine-5'-diphosphate, a specific inhibitor of ecto-5'-nucleotidase. CD73 is strongly expressed in microvasculature in samples of postmortem MS brain and, moreover, in the majority of MS patients there was a clear upregulation both in the soluble serum ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity and skin microvascular CD73 expression after IFN-beta treatment. Upregulation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase and a subsequent increase in adenosine production might contribute to the beneficial effects of IFN-beta on MS via enhancing the endothelial barrier function.