title: IL-15 is elevated in sera of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Interleukin-15 is a novel cytokine produced by monocytes/macrophages and sharing several biological activities with IL-2. IL-15 induces T cell proliferation, enhances natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity and also stimulates B cells to proliferate and secrete immunoglobulins. The purpose of our study was to measure IL-15 levels in the serum and CSF of 21 patients with relapsing-remitting form of MS, 9 with active gadolinium enhancing lesions in MRI, 12 without enhancing MRI lesions and to compare the results with the control group. IL-15 levels were measured by ELISA. We found a significant increase of IL-15 in the sera of patients with MS in comparison with the control group consisting of 8 patients with tension headache. IL-15 serum levels were highest in patients with active, gadolinium enhancing lesions. IL-15 CSF levels were low and there was no difference between studied groups. The results may suggest the contribution of IL-15 in the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroimmunology, University School of Medicine, Poznań, Poland. jlosy@mail.usoms.poznan.pl
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Losy
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niezgoda
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zaremba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology*; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15; D005682:Gadolinium