SOLUBLE FAS (APO-1) LEVELS IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS PATIENTS

CSF and serum levels of soluble Fas were studied in MS patients, in pa tients with various neurological diseases and in healthy controls. We did not detect differences in serum sFas levels between MS patients an d controls. Tn CSF, despite sFas levels being similar in all patients studied, a statistically significant correlation between sFas CSF/sFas serum ratio and BBB damage (expressed as albumin CSF/albumin serum ra tio) was detected in non-MS neurological disease, but not in MS patien ts. The normalized ratio (sFas: CSF/sFas serum)/(Alb CSF/Alb serum) wa s significantly increased in MS patients compared to patients with non -inflammatory neurological disease suggesting an intrathecal synthesis of soluble Fas in MS. The percentage of apoptotic mononuclear cells w as higher in CSF as compared to peripheral blood; moreover a lower pro portion of apoptotic cells was found in CSF of MS patients. The findin gs lend support to the involvement of sFas in MS pathogenesis and sugg est that a lower apoptosis in CSF may be a feature of the disease. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.