The role of cytokines in multiple sclerosis

This workshop, initiated by the MS Forum, has covered many aspects of the intriguing and complex world of cytokines, and their role in multiple sclerosis (MS). Throughout the presentations, which cover a range of subjects from cytokine production to possible immunotherapeutic options in MS, there has emerged a common theme to our present of knowledge--the innocent T cell that becomes nasty in an unpredictable way. Within this common theme, a number of interesting points are apparent. Pregnancy appears to protect against exacerbations of MS, and this may be due to an effect that the pregnant state'' has on certain components of the immune response. For example, when peripheral blood lymphocytes from MS patients are incubated in pregnancy serum, there is a 60% reduction in interferon gamma (IFN-gamma)-secreting cells, compared with lymphocytes incubated in autologous serum or heterologous nonpregnancy serum. Pregnancy is very much a state of health,'' and therefore, it may be possible to protect against MS by doing things to the immune system that are consistent with a healthy state.'' A great deal is already known about the actions of individual cytokines, and that the effects of these may be different in vivo than in vitro. These effects may also change when two …