Lymphocytes from multiple sclerosis patients produce elevated levels of gamma interferon in vitro.

The production of gamma interferon (IFN) by mononuclear cells (MNC) from patients with exacerbating/remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and controls was evaluated. After 3 days of culture with concanavalin A, the amount of gamma IFN in supernatant fluids was determined by radioimmunoassay. MNC from MS patients produced significantly (P less than 0.001) more gamma IFN than MNC from either normal controls or patients with other neurologic diseases. Levels of gamma IFN in the serum and CSF were also measured. Despite the relative absence of gamma IFN in serum (4 positive of 30), all CSF samples tested had low, but detectable, levels of gamma IFN (0.3 to 1.4 U/ml). These studies suggest that some of the autoimmune features and immunologic abnormalities in MS may be related to elevated gamma IFN production.