EXPRESSION OF FC-EPSILON-R2 CD23 AND P55 IL-2R CD25 ON PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MACROPHAGES MONOCYTES IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Macrophages have been found histologically to be activated in multiple sclerosis. We analyzed the expression of CD23 and CD25 on monocytes/m acrophages in peripheral blood obtained from patients with multiple sc lerosis (MS) to investigate their role in the demyelinating process. P eripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from 30 patients with MS including four Balb's diseases (24 with acute relapsing type diseas e, six with chronic progressive type disease) and 12 healthy controls. The percentage of CD14(+)CD23(+) monocytes/macrophages and CD14(+)CD2 5(+) monocytes/macrophages were determined by two-color flow cytometry . The percentage of CD14(+)CD23(+) monocytes was significantly higher in patients with MS in the active phase as compared with controls (P < 0.01). Six patients with acute relapsing MS, who had received no ther apy, had higher CD14(+)CD23(+) cells than did controls (P < 0.0001). C D14(+)CD25(+) monocytes/macrophages were not detected in peripheral bl ood monocytes/macrophages of patients with MS except Balo's concentric sclerosis. The four patients with Balo's concentric sclerosis had mar kedly elevated levels of CD14(+)CD25(+) monocytes/macrophages. Our fin dings suggest that monocytes/macrophages are activated during an exace rbation of MS, and that they may play an important role in the process of demyelination.