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Tumor necrosis factor in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis
Author(s) -
Franciotta D. M.,
Grimaldi L. M. E.,
Martino G. V.,
Piccolo G.,
Bergamaschi R.,
Citterio A.,
D'Eril G. V. Melzi
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410260618
Subject(s) - cerebrospinal fluid , multiple sclerosis , medicine , pathology , tumor necrosis factor alpha , immunology
We measured levels of alpha–tumor necrosis factor (α‐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 α‐TNF were found in patients with inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Comparable serum levels of α‐TNF were detected in normal control subjects, patients with multiple sclerosis, and patients with degenerative neurological diseases. In patients with multiple sclerosis, α‐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 α‐TNF in the cerebrospinal fluid. Our data do not support a role for elevated levels of circulating α‐TNF in the maintenance of the disease. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that a transient elevation of a α‐TNF triggers the cellular events leading to demyelination in multiple sclerosis.