Correlation between IL-31 and sCD40L plasma levels in Fingolimod-treated patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS)

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology 2021-01, Vol.350, p.577435-577435, Article 577435
• Main Authors: Gonçalves, Marcus Vinícius Magno, Brandão, Wesley Nogueira, Longo, Carla, Peron, Jean Pierre Schatzmann, dos Passos, Giordani Rodrigues, Pagliarini, Gabriela Löw, do Nascimento, Osvaldo Jose Moreira, Marinowic, Daniel Rodrigo, Machado, Denise Cantarelli, Becker, Jefferson
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: IL-31; Multiple sclerosis; sCD40L
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2020.577435

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, several protocols are described for the different phases of MS. In this longitudinal study, we aim to quantify the concentration of plasma cytokines of MS patients treated with Fingolimod alone or after Glatiramer Acetate (GA) or Interferon-beta (IFN-β), in order to compeer both treatments and describes if it is possible to use them as biomarkers. Compare the two different types of drug treatment and describes possible immune biomarkers in RRMS patients treated with Fingolimod alone or after GA or IFN-β. This is a controlled, non-randomized clinical trial. Plasma concentrations of IL-31, sCD40L and nine others cytokines were evaluated in two groups of patients with a one-year follow-up. Group 1 (n = 12): RRMS patients treated with GA or IFN-β for at least six months before the study who changed therapy to Fingolimod after six months, and Group 2 (n = 12): naïve RRMS patients who started treatment with Fingolimod. We used ANOVA two-way to analyze the cytokines and Spearman coefficient to evaluate the correlation. Although Group 2 started with a greater number of relapses per disease duration, Fingolimod treatment was effective in decreasing this parameter, as well as EDSS over 12 months. However, the treatment with GA or IFN-β on Group 1 showed a tendency to increase the number of relapses after 6 months of follow-up, which decrease when the therapy was changed to Fingolimod. After the evaluation of 11 cytokines in one year, we found that IL-31 and sCD40L were the biomarkers that demonstrated a more difference when compared to the classical ones, following the clinical pattern over the treatment period. Our study describes the existence of two promising plasmatic biomarkers (IL-31 and sCD40L), which reduced plasmatic levels in RRMS patients followed the treatment time of Fingolimod, despite that more studies are needed to prove their efficiency. •This is a controlled, non-randomized clinical trial. A longitudinal study for twelve months, compare between two different types of drug treatment.•A longitudinal follow-up of eleven plasma cytokines were evaluated in two groups of patients. Group 1: RRMS patients treated with GA or IFN-β who changed therapy to Fingolimod after six months, and Group 2: naïve RRMS patients who started treatment with Fingolimod.•After the evaluation of one year, we found that IL-31 and sCD40L were the biomarkers tha