Levels of interleukin-15-expressing blood mononuclear cells are elevated in multiple sclerosis.
Scand J Immunol
; 50(3): 302-8, 1999 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10447940
ABSTRACT
Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a novel IL-2-like cytokine expressed by cells of the monocyte/macrophage and epithelial lineages. Cytokines might be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Using immunocytochemistry, we analysed spontaneous expression of IL-15 by peripheral blood (PB) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) mononuclear cells (MNC) from patients with MS, other neurological diseases (OND) and healthy controls. IL-15- positive peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were elevated in patients with MS compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05). The elevation of IL-15- positive PBMNC was restricted to patients with chronic progressive MS and not observed in patients studied during the relapsing-remitting phase of MS. The numbers of IL-15- expressing PBMNC correlated with the duration and disability of MS (r = 0.45, P < 0.001, and r = 0.39, P < 0.01, respectively). IL-15 was undetectable in CSF MNC, and ELISA showed low CSF levels of IL-15 in occasional patients with MS and OND. IL-15 is a potent growth factor for gammadelta T cells, but there was no correlation between IL-15 expression by PBMNC and percentage of gammadelta T cells in blood from the MS patients. Together, these data demonstrate that IL-15 expression by PBMNC is upregulated in the chronic stage of MS.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Interleukin-15
/
Multiple Sclerosis
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Scand J Immunol
Year:
1999
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Suecia