Intravenous immunoglobulins are a therapeutic option in the treatment of multiple sclerosis relapse.

Objective: The objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) monotherapy in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse.

Background: High-dose intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) and plasmapheresis have been shown to shorten the recovery period of an MS relapse. Options for those who have contraindications for or are unresponsive to these treatments are very limited.

Is the modulatory effect of pregnancy in multiple sclerosis associated with changes in blood apoptotic molecules?

Objective: We examined whether the modulatory effect of pregnancy on multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with changes in the apoptotic molecules in sera.

Subjects And Methods: The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (sTRAIL), sFas, Fas ligand (sFasL) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor were analyzed from 19 MS patients and 14 controls during late pregnancy and post-partum. The obtained results were related to disease activity and the progression of MS.

Interleukin-6, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and interleukin-1beta production in patients with focal epilepsy: A video-EEG study.

Unlabelled: Experimental and clinical studies have shown that prolonged seizures result in increased cytokine production in the central nervous system. The purpose of this study was to examine plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) in 20 patients with epilepsy undergoing a video-EEG study. Plasma samples were obtained at the onset of the recordings and 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after the index seizure.

Apoptosis-related molecules in blood in multiple sclerosis.

A failure in apoptosis of lymphocytes may lead to harmful immunoreactivity in MS. We analyzed apoptosis-related molecules including TRAIL, sFas, sFasL and MIF in the blood of 117 MS patients and controls to answer whether these molecules may be used in the evaluation of disease activity and immunomodulatory effect of IFN-beta. Increased levels of sTRAIL, sFasL and MIF were found in sera of untreated patients with MS relapse indicating their association with MS disease activity.

Immunoregulatory factors in multiple sclerosis patients during and after pregnancy: relevance of natural killer cells.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) ameliorates typically during pregnancy but after the delivery the relapse rate often increases. Our study was conducted to understand the immunoregulatory mechanisms accompanying this phenomenon. MS patients were followed-up prospectively during pregnancy and 6 months postpartum, with immunological characterization of the peripheral blood.