CORRELATION BETWEEN INTERFERON-PRODUCTION AND CLINICAL-DISEASE ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

We determined the interferon (IFN) serum levels and in vitro activated IFN production in eight patients with relapsing/remitting multiple sc lerosis (MS), using a whole-blood test system and the mitogen concanav alin A and the viral antigen Newcastle disease virus for induction of the IFN production. During the overall study period of 12 months we ob served, in relation to clinical disease progression, a biphasic increa se in the individual IFN alpha and IFN gamma production. While mitogen -induced IFN gamma synthesis showed a significant augmentation prior t o the onset of a new relapse (P < 0.05), virus-induced IFN alpha produ ction showed a temporal delayed increase which was related to clinical remission (P < 0.01). The observed fluctuations in the individual pro duction of both IFN subtypes were not reflected in the sera of the pat ients. Although the reason for the temporal different imbalance in the production of both IFN subtypes remains unknown, the observed associa tion between increased IFN alpha production and clinical remission emp hasizes a possible role for type 1 IFNs in the resolution of the MS re lapse.