title: Cyclosporin A curtails the progression of free light chain synthesis in the CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Free light chains in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis correlate closely with disease activity. As part of a double-blind placebo controlled trial of immunosuppression using cyclosporin A in patients with multiple sclerosis, light chain analysis was performed on pre- and post-treatment CSF samples in 19 patients, nine having received cyclosporin A and 10 placebo. The placebo treated patients showed continued immunological activity, as evidenced by an increase in both free kappa and lambda chains, but cyclosporin A treatment resulted in no change or an improvement in light chain response, indicative of suppression of continued activity. As cyclosporin A does not enter the CSF, this implies that systemic stimulation is at least partly responsible for continued disease activity in multiple sclerosis. Cyclosporin A may thus be effective in preventing the deterioration of patients with multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudge
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains