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In vivo relationship of interleukin-2 and soluble IL-2 receptor to blood-brain barrier impairment in patients with active multiple sclerosis

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Abstract

Interleukin (IL)-2 has well-recognized effects on cerebral endothelial cells and, therefore, may mediate disruption of the blood-brain barrier in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). To evaluate the in vivo relationship of the IL-2 system to blood-brain barrier impairment in MS, levels of IL-2 and soluble IL-2 receptors (sIL-2R) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from 50 patients with active MS and 49 controls were correlated with values of the CSF to serum albumin ratio. Intrathecal levels of IL-2 and sIL-2R were significantly higher in MS compared with the control groups and correlated with albumin ratios in MS patients. Intrathecal levels of IL-2 and sIL-2R also correlated with the degree of barrier damage in these patients. It is suggested that intrathecal levels of IL-2 and sIL-2R are related to barrier impairment in MS and may be important in understanding some of the pathological changes of this condition.

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Sharief, M.K., Hentges, R., Ciardi, M. et al. In vivo relationship of interleukin-2 and soluble IL-2 receptor to blood-brain barrier impairment in patients with active multiple sclerosis. J Neurol 240, 46–50 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00838446

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00838446

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