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CIRCULATING SERUM LEVELS OF IL-1ra IN PATIENTS WITH RELAPSING REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS ARE NORMAL DURING REMISSION PHASES BUT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED EITHER DURING EXACERBATIONS OR IN RESPONSE TO IFN-β TREATMENT

Interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is a naturally occurring inhibitor of IL-1 which binds to IL-1 receptors without generating immunologic responses. Evidence has recently been provided that the balance between the production of IL-1 and IL-1ra might influence the course of immunoinflam...

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Published in:Cytokine (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 1996-05, Vol.8 (5), p.395-400
Main Authors: Nicoletti, Ferdinando, Patti, Francesco, Marco, Roberto Di, Zaccone, Paola, Nicoletti, Alessandra, Meroni, PierLuigi, Reggio, Arturo
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is a naturally occurring inhibitor of IL-1 which binds to IL-1 receptors without generating immunologic responses. Evidence has recently been provided that the balance between the production of IL-1 and IL-1ra might influence the course of immunoinflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Lyme arthritis. To assess whether endogenous IL-1ra may also have a role on the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) we presently studied the fluctuation of the serum levels of IL-1ra in patients with relapsing remitting (RR) MS either during remission or exacerbation. Moreover, to evaluate whether the beneficial effect of IFN-β on the course of MS might also be mediated by an increased production of IL-1ra, we measured the levels of circulating IL-1ra in MS patients prior to and after 6 months of continuous treatment with natural human IFN-β (6 000 000 IU three times a week for 6 months). Our results demonstrated that, relative to control subjects, IL-1ra serum levels are ‘normal’ during remitting phases of RR MS but significantly elevated either during exacerbations or in response to IFN-β treatment.
ISSN:1043-4666
1096-0023
DOI:10.1006/cyto.1996.0054