J Neuroimmunol 2002 Jan;122(1-2):175-185
Kraus J, Engelhardt B, Chatzimanolis
N, Bauer R, Tofighi J, Kuehne BS, Laske C, Stolz E, Frielinghaus P, Schaefer
C, Blaes F, Traupe H, Kaps M, Oschmann P.
Department of Neurology, Justus-Liebig
University Giessen, Research Group for Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology,
Am Steg 14, 35385, Giessen, Germany
Background:
The expression of soluble cell adhesion
molecules (AM) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood and their significance
as measures of disease activity has been extensively studied in patients
with multiple sclerosis (MS). In previous studies, we found that cell surface
bound AM on mononuclear cells (MNC) in CSF and blood might be useful markers
of clinical disease activity in MS patients. Objective: To analyze the
correlation of cell surface bound and soluble AM in CSF and blood with
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of subclinical disease severity
and activity in patients with MS.
Methods:
Expression levels of cell surface
bound AM on peripheral blood and CSF MNC were determined by flow cytometry
analysis in 77 (CSF: 33) MS patients. Concentration levels of the soluble
forms of AM were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
In corresponding cerebral gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced MRI scans, we determined
both measures of subclinical disease severity and subclinical disease activity.
Results:
The expression levels of cell surface
bound AM in peripheral blood correlated inversely with parameters for subclinical
disease severity and activity on cerebral MRI scans as well as with the
disease duration. Furthermore, we found significant correlations between
serum levels of soluble AM and patient age but not with disease duration.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that subclinical
disease progression may be associated with a decrease of the expression
of cell surface bound AM on peripheral blood MNC. This might be a result
of activated MNC migration into the CNS.
PMID: 11777557 [PubMed - as supplied
by publisher]