Objective: The mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CD4+ CD7+ T cells and peripheral blood (PB) interleukin-10 (IL-10) as well as tumor necrosis-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in patients with definite multiple sclerosis of the relapsing-remitting type.

Methods: To assess the above-mentioned cytokine levels we performed our test by the means of ELI-spot assay; the T-helper cell subset was assayed using flow cytometry.

Results: PB IL-10 levels of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in remission were significantly (p<0.001) higher than in MS patients in the active phase. There was significant and increased evidence of TNF-alpha levels only in the MS patients in the active phase. CD4+ CD7+ T cells, characterized by a preferential Th1-like cytokine profile, were detectable only in seven patients in the active phase without evidence of a statistical significance with respect to cytokine levels.

Conclusions: The data indicate that the production of different cytokines characterized the expression of relapsing-remitting MS. The data also suggest that is it possible to control MS using the regulatory cytokine balance.