We examined whether gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) can be detected in serum and CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory neurological diseases. Gamma-IFN was assayed by solid phase radioimmunoassay on the forward sandwich principle. In 7 serum samples in acute stage of multiple sclerosis without corticosteroid, in 2 CSF samples in acute stage, gamma-IFN was not detected. In stable stage there was no case with positive gamma-IFN. The patient with tuberculous meningitis showed high titer in CSF but not in serum. One case with herpes zoster meningitis, one case out of 2 aseptic encephalitis showed positive gamma-IFN in CSF. In one case with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, gamma-IFN was detected both in serum and CSF. One case with Neuro-Beh?et syndrome showed positive gamma-IFN in CSF. No gamma-IFN was detected in 2 cases with Guillain-Barr? syndrome, one case with Crow-Fukase syndrome, Fisher syndrome, 2 cases with polymyosits. gamma-IFN in CSF was detected in meningitis and encephalitis, but not in serum. This suggests that the locally infiltrating cells produce gamma-IFN. However, we could not detect gamma-IFN in either CSF or serum of patients with multiple sclerosis. Negative results of gamma-IFN in patients with multiple sclerosis can be interpreted in 2 ways. 1. The half life of gamma-IFN is very short in vivo, and the level of gamma-IFN may not be detected at the time of sampling. 2. Generalized augmentation of gamma-IFN production may not be observed but locally infiltrating cells or astrocytes might produce gamma-IFN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Behcet Syndrome Humans