Evaluation of interleukin 10 and interferon-alpha in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of patients with multiple sclerosis

The activities of IL-10, a cytokine produced by TH2 cells, monocytes and B-cells, and IFN-alpha, a product of activated macrophages/monocytes, were investigated in the CSF and serum samples of 25 subjects with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS), of whom 14 were in the active and nine in the stable phase, and of 15 controls with other noninflammatory neurological diseases (OND). Elevated CSF IL-10 and IFN-alpha levels were found in MS patients in the stable phase with respect to patients in the active phase (p < 0.001), while no significant differences were observed in the mean serum levels between IL-10 patients (both in the active and stable phase) and controls. Finally, a significant correlation was detected between IL-10 and IFN-alpha in the CSP of MS patients in remission. This study suggests that IL-10 may downregulate MS progression.