title: Circulating interleukin-15 and RANTES chemokine in MS patients: effect of treatment with methylprednisolone in patients with relapse.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a proinflammatory cytokine. RANTES is a member of the beta chemokines subfamily with strong chemoattractant activity for T lymphocytes and monocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured by enzyme-like immunosorbent assay (ELISA) serum levels of IL-15 and RANTES in 24 patients with MS in relapse, 27 patients with stable MS and 21 healthy subjects. Serum levels of IL-15 and RANTES were also measured before, 5 days and 1 month after onset of treatment with methylprednisolone i.v.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-15 serum levels were higher in patients with relapse compared with patients in stable stage of the disease and healthy subjects (p=0.001 and p=0.008 respectively). RANTES serum levels were increased in patients with relapse and stable disease as compared to healthy subjects (p=0.01). IL-15 and RANTES levels were not decreased after treatment with corticosteroids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest a possible role of IL-15 and RANTES in MS. Treatment with methylprednisolone in relapse had no effect on serum IL-15 and RANTES levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. mrentzos@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rentzos
authors.forename: Chryssoula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rombos
authors.forename: M Eleftheria
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Evangelopoulos
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dimitrakopoulos
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kararizou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koutsis
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoga
authors.forename: Anthousa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsoutsou
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sfangos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D019409:Interleukin-15; D008775:Methylprednisolone