Heightened intrathecal release of proinflammatory cytokines in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

The authors report high intrathecal release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (TL)-1 beta in five patients with sporadic or n ew-variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) without activation of the humora l or lymphocytic immune responses. Increased release of TNP-alpha and IL-1 beta was also detected in some patients with progressive dementias. CJD is associated with a local cerebral host response that involves the release of proinflammatory cytokines.