Tumor necrosis factor in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis.
We measured levels of alpha-tumor necrosis factor (alpha-TNF) in cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples from 50 drug-free patients with multiple sclerosis, 25 patients with other neurological diseases, 27 patients with non-neurological diseases, and 10 normal subjects. The most elevated levels of alpha-TNF were found in patients with inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Comparable serum levels of alpha-TNF were detected in normal control subjects, patients with multiple sclerosis, and patients with degenerative neurological diseases. In patients with multiple sclerosis, alpha-TNF levels were also unrelated to time elapsed between the occurrence of clinical exacerbation and the time of sample collection. Only 3 patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis had detectable alpha-TNF in the cerebrospinal fluid. Our data do not support a role for elevated levels of circulating alpha-TNF in the maintenance of the disease. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that a transient elevation of alpha-TNF triggers the cellular events leading to demyelination in multiple sclerosis.
Franciotta
D M
DM
Neurological Institute Fondazione Mondino, IRCCS, University of Pavia, Italy.
Grimaldi
L M
LM
Martino
G V
GV
Piccolo
G
G
Bergamaschi
R
R
Citterio
A
A
Melzi d'Eril
G V
GV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha