MEASUREMENT OF IMMUNE MARKERS IN THE SERUM AND CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OFMULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS PATIENTS DURING CLINICAL REMISSION

Magnetic resonance imaging of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients often s hows active inflammatory lesions despite clinical remission. No immuno logical marker of disease activity has been identified in these patien ts. Concentrations of neopterin, interleukin-2 (IL-2), soluble interle ukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of 19 clinically in active MS patients and compared with those of 19 non-inflammatory cont rols. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neopterin concentrations were signific antly higher in the MS group than in controls (mean 9.1 mM vs 3.4 nM, P < 0.01) and 10 of 19 MS patients had levels above the control range. This finding provides evidence of ongoing T-cell-directed and interfe ron-gamma-mediated macrophage activation in the central nervous system . Analysis of IL-2, sIL-2R and TNF alpha concentrations revealed no si gnificant differences between MS patients and controls. We conclude th at CSF neopterin concentration may correlate with disease activity in asymptomatic patients.