title: Decreased interleukin-10 and increased interleukin-12p40 mRNA are associated with disease activity and characterize different disease stages in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: It has been shown that proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines correlate with disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). To establish whether such correlations depend on the disease stage, we assessed in a longitudinal fashion the expression of interleukin (IL)-12 (p40 and p35), tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, and IL-10 mRNA by competitive polymerase chain reaction in unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of relapsing-remitting (RR) and secondary progressive (SP) MS patients, in relation to monthly clinical and magnetic resonance imaging monitoring. MS patients had increased levels of IL-12p40 and decreased levels of IL-10 mRNA compared with controls; this difference was most pronounced in SP patients. Both RR and SP patients had increased levels of IL-12p40 mRNA compared with controls during the development of active lesions. Moreover, in RR MS an increase was found before relapse. IL-12p35 mRNA was decreased in both groups, and in relation to disease activity it showed a pattern different from IL-12p40 mRNA. In RR MS, IL-10 mRNA was low 4 weeks before magnetic resonance imaging activity and 6 weeks before relapse; a significant increase to normal levels was noted when active lesions became apparent. In contrast, SP patients showed low IL-10 mRNA levels constitutively, suggesting that IL-10 plays an important role in the control of disease progression.
authors.affiliation: TNO Prevention and Health, Division of Immunological and Infectious Diseases, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: van Boxel-Dezaire
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: van Oosten
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Verweij
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dräger
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Adèr
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van Houwelingen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barkhof
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Polman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nagelkerken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12