title: Increased proinflammatory cytokines in sera of patients with multifocal motor neuropathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is characterized by clinical improvement with intravenous immunoglobulin and the frequent detection of anti-ganglioside antibodies. However, the immunological background of the neuronal damage in MMN is still unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to investigate abnormalities in the cytokine and chemokine profiles of MMN patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera from 16 patients with MMN, 16 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and 15 patients with other non-inflammatory neurological diseases (ONDs) were analyzed for 27 cytokines and chemokines using a multiplex bead array. We also checked whether the altered cytokine/chemokine profile in the MMN group differed significantly in the presence or absence of abnormal electrophysiological findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum IL-1Ra, IL-2, G-CSF, TNF-α, and TNFR1 levels were significantly higher in the MMN group than in the ONDs group. Of these, G-CSF and TNF-α also showed significant increases compared to the ALS group. Serum G-CSF and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in MMN patients presenting with focal demyelination including conduction block than in patients without any focal demyelination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proinflammatory cytokines may contribute to peripheral nerve demyelination in MMN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan. Electronic address: ft1981tf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyashiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nodera
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuishin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: National Epilepsy Center, Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Shizuoka, 420-8688, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukitoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kusunoki
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004576:Electromyography; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D016207:Cytokines; D005732:Gangliosides
keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Demyelination; Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; Multifocal motor neuropathy; Tumor necrosis factor α