SOLUBLE ICAM-1, DEMYELINATION, AND INFLAMMATION IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSISAND ACUTE OPTIC NEURITIS

We measured sICAM-1 in paired samples of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with an attack of multiple sclerosis (MS) (n = 50 ) and patients with acute monosymptomatic optic neuritis (ON) as a pos sible first attack of MS were also included (n = 25). Based on calcula tions of extended indices we found evidence of intrathecal synthesis o f sICAM-1 both in patients with clinically definite MS and in patients with idiopathic ON compared to neurological control subjects. The amo unt of intrathecally synthesized sICAM-1 correlated significantly to t he CSF leukocyte count and to the concentration of myelin basic protei n in the CSF. The serum concentrations of sICAM-1 were not increased i n patients with demyelinating disease compared to the neurological con trol subjects. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.