BLOOD-LEVELS OF TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA-1 (TGF-BETA-1) ARE ELEVATED IN BOTH RELAPSING-REMITTING AND CHRONIC PROGRESSIVE MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS (MS) PATIENTS AND ARE FURTHER AUGMENTED BY TREATMENT WITH INTERFERON-BETA-1B (IFN-BETA-1B)

Authors
NICOLETTI F DIMARCO R PATTI F REGGIO E NICOLETTI A ZACCONE P STIVALA F MERONI PL REGGIO A
Citation
F. Nicoletti et al., BLOOD-LEVELS OF TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA-1 (TGF-BETA-1) ARE ELEVATED IN BOTH RELAPSING-REMITTING AND CHRONIC PROGRESSIVE MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS (MS) PATIENTS AND ARE FURTHER AUGMENTED BY TREATMENT WITH INTERFERON-BETA-1B (IFN-BETA-1B), Clinical and experimental immunology, 113(1), 1998, pp. 96-99
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Immunology
Journal title
Clinical and experimental immunology → ACNP
ISSN journal
00099104
Volume
113
Issue
1
Year of publication
1998
Pages
96 - 99
Database
ISI
SICI code
0009-9104(1998)113:1<96:BOT(AE>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
The serum levels of TGF-beta 1, measured by solid-phase ELISA, were de termined to be significantly augmented in patients with both relapsing remitting (RR) and secondary chronic progressive (CP) MS compared wit h sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Moreover, in RR MS patients, the blood levels of the cytokine were further augmented either during relapses or, in a rapid but reversible fashion, by s.c. injection with 8 million International Units (MIU) IFN-beta 1b. Because TGF-beta 1 p ossesses multiple anti-inflammatory activities, we hypothesize that th e increase in its circulating levels in RR and CP MS patients might re present an endogenous anti-inflammatory mechanism aimed at counteracti ng ongoing immunoinflammatory events, and that IFN-beta may further po tentiate this natural defensive apparatus.