title: Interleukin-6 is elevated in plasma in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6)--a cytokine which induces immunoglobulin production of activated B cells--were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), acute meningo-encephalitis (AM) and muscular tension headache (TH). MS patients had in repeated samples higher levels of IL-6 in plasma compared to patients with AM and TH. IL-6 concentrations in MS plasma were about 17 times higher than MS CSF, while in AM 20-fold higher levels were found in CSF compared to plasma during the acute stage. IL-6 in AM CSF decreased rapidly during clinical recovery. No correlation was found between IL-6 in MS patients' plasma or CSF and disease activity. The functional significance of elevated IL-6 concentrations in MS plasma is unknown, although the findings support the hypothesis of a systemic B cell response in MS.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frei
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Link
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D014777:Virus Diseases
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6