PHA-induced interferon in multiple sclerosis: association between gamma interferon and clinical and genetical variables.

Gamma interferon (INF-gamma) production, after PHA stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with the acute remitting and chronic progressive forms, in attack and remission phases, and from normal controls, was studied by immunoradiometric assay. MS patients in all these 4 clinical states of disease produced less INF-gamma (log value range from 2.55 to 2.65). MNC from the total MS patients produced significantly low levels of INF-gamma compared to the control group (log values 2.60 vs. 2.82; P = 0.001). No association between the interferon production and antigens at any HLA locus (A, B, C, Dw and Bf) was found. There was no correlation between IFN-gamma production and age, sex, duration of disease, or disability index. However there was a slight tendency to negative correlation with the progression index of the disease. The results suggest that this lower IFN-gamma production in MS may be secondary to the disease, and the primary defect may be a severe reduction of the essential lymphocyte populations required for an effective lymphokine cascade to produce the normal immune response against infection.