Brain Res Bull. 2003 Aug 15;61(3):327-46
Kleine TO, Zwerenz P, Graser C, Zofel P.
Neurochemistry Department, Centre of Nervous Diseases, Clinicum of
the University, D-35033, Marburg, Germany
Lumbar CSF and serum pairs of untreated multiple sclerosis patients (MS; n=47) were analyzed on admission.
On average, higher CSF leukocyte (lymphocyte and monocyte) counts, IgG index, CSF IgG contents, but not of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 in CSF and serum, were revealed in all MS or patients with long disease course (LO-MS) compared with controls.
In primary progressive MS (PP-MS) cell counts were low, but IgG contents were high, when compared to relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS).
In clinically probable MS (CP-MS) both contents were low, in clinically definite MS (CD-MS) high.
Spearman's correlation with the four monokines and the basic indices in CSF revealed activation patterns known for microglia/macrophages in the four MS subgroups, for astrocytes in CP-MS and RR-MS, for CSF lymphocytes in CP-MS and PP-MS, for cells of blood-brain barrier (BBB) in CP-MS, for intrathecal IgG synthesis in PP-MS and for lymphocyte transfer in CD-MS.
Correlations between CSF and serum parameters indicated CNS disease processes to be associated with systemic processes of inflammation (acute, chronic) in CD-MS, RR-MS, and PP-MS in different ways.
CSF IgG content, IgG index and systemic markers of inflammation correlated with overall disability scores in LO-MS; increasing levels may indicate a bad outcome.