Increased proinflammatory cytokines in sera of patients with multifocal motor neuropathy

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2014.07.059
• Publication Date: 2014-08-04T14:19:17Z
• Authors: Takahiro Furukawa; Naoko Matsui; Koji Fujita; Ai Miyashiro; Hiroyuki Nodera; Yuishin Izumi; Fumitaka Shimizu; Katsuichi Miyamoto; Yukitoshi Takahashi; Takashi Kanda; Susumu Kusunoki; Ryuji Kaji
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Movement Disorders; Electromyography; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Middle Aged; Evoked Potentials, Motor; Antibodies; 3. Good health; Polyneuropathies; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Case-Control Studies; Gangliosides; Cytokines; Humans; Female; Aged; Retrospective Studies

Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is characterized by clinical improvement with intravenous immunoglobulin and the frequent detection of anti-ganglioside antibodies. However, the immunological background of the neuronal damage in MMN is still unclear.The aim of this study is to investigate abnormalities in the cytokine and chemokine profiles of MMN patients.Sera from 16 patients with MMN, 16 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and 15 patients with other non-inflammatory neurological diseases (ONDs) were analyzed for 27 cytokines and chemokines using a multiplex bead array. We also checked whether the altered cytokine/chemokine profile in the MMN group differed significantly in the presence or absence of abnormal electrophysiological findings.Serum IL-1Ra, IL-2, G-CSF, TNF-α, and TNFR1 levels were significantly higher in the MMN group than in the ONDs group. Of these, G-CSF and TNF-α also showed significant increases compared to the ALS group. Serum G-CSF and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in MMN patients presenting with focal demyelination including conduction block than in patients without any focal demyelination.Proinflammatory cytokines may contribute to peripheral nerve demyelination in MMN.