Differential release of beta-chemokines in serum and CSF of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Objective - beta -chemokines were recently demonstrated in active MS-lesion s. We tested whether MCP-1 and RANTES can also be detected in CSF and serum of patients with MS and whether release is associated with inflammatory di sease activity. Materials, and methods - CSF and serum from 34 patients wit h newly diagnosed relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS), 17 patients with viral me ningitis (VM) and 19 patients with non-inflammatory neurological diseases ( NIND) were investigated by ELISA. RR-MS patients underwent lumbar puncture and Gd-enhanced MRI examinations within 2 days. Results - MCP-1 was strong intrathecally released in all patients. Compared to NIND CSF-levels were in creased in VM (P <0.001) and were decreased in RR-MS (P <0.05). RANTES was only detected in serum in all patients. Levels were higher in VM and RR-MS compared to NIND (P <0.05). A total of 14/34 RR-MS patients exhibited activ e Gd-enhancing lesions on MRI. They had lower MCP-1 levels in CSF (P <0.001 ) and Serum (P <0.05) and higher erum levels of RANTES (P <0.05) as compare d to patients without active lesions. Conclusions - MCP-1 and RANTES are di fferentially released during acute attacks of RR-MS, which might reflect di fferent immunregulatory roles of these beta -chemokines in RR-MS.