ABSTRACT
Objectives: Interleukin [IL]-33 is a cytokine with both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects involved in the pathogenesis of some inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the serum and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] IL-33 concentrations in patients with multiple sclerosis [MS]
Methods: Blood specimens were obtained from 140 patients with MS [46 males and 94 females] with various disease patterns and treatment plans and 140 healthy subjects [47 males and 93 females], who acted as a control group. CSF samples were collected from 20 MS group and 20 sex- and agematched patients with other neurological diseases of nonautoimmune etiology. The serum and CSF concentrations of IL-33 were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Results: The serum and CSF IL-33 levels were significantly higher in the MS group compared to the control group [p<0.001 and p<0.050, respectively]. The serum IL-33 concentrations were also significantly higher in newly diagnosed [untreated] patients and patients treated with methylprednisolone or with interferon-beta and methylprednisolone compared to the healthy patient group [p<0.007, p<0.002, and p<0.010, respectively]. Moreover, the serum IL-33 concentrations in patients with relapsing-remitting [RRMS], primary progressive [PPMS], and secondary progressive [SPMS] forms of the disease were significantly higher than in the healthy control group [p<0.006, p<0.001, and p<0.020, respectively]
Conclusions: Our results showed increased concentrations of IL-33 in patients with MS including both untreated and treated MS patients and patients with the RRMS, SPMS, and PPMS forms. This suggests that IL-33 may be involved in the pathogenesis of all MS forms and treatment with methylprednisolone or both interferon-beta plus methylprednisolone has no influence on IL-33 concentrations
ABSTRACT
Background: CCL22 is a chemokine that induces the migration of Th2- and regulatory T cells to the inflammatory sites. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of a single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP], rs4359426, in CCL22 gene, with multiple sclerosis [MS] in patients from southeast of Iran
Materials and Methods: the blood samples collected from 150 patients with MS and 150 healthy subjects as a control group. The serum levels of CCL20 measured by ELISA and the DNA analyzed for CCL22 polymorphism using PCR-RFLP method
Results: there were no significant differences in the frequencies of genotypes and alleles at SNP rs4359426 in CCL22 gene between MS patients and controls. No significant differences also observed between controls and patients with RRMS, SPMS, PPMS and PRMS patterns regarding the genetic variation of rs4359426. In both MS and control groups, no significant differences were observed between subjects with CC, CA and AA genotypes or between subjects with C and A alleles concerning rs4359426 with respect to the serum levels of CCL22
Conclusion: these results do not show any association between the investigated genotypes and alleles at rs4359426 in CCL22 gene with MS or its patterns in MS patients. The serum levels of chemokine did not also influence by genetic variation of SNP rs4359426