IL-15 mRNA expression is up-regulated in blood and cerebrospinal fluid mononuclear cells in multiple sclerosis (MS).

IL-15, produced by monocytes and epithelial cells, is a novel cytokine with actions similar to IL-2. IL-15 induces T cell proliferation, B cell maturation and natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, and is a chemoattractant for T cells. We investigated the expression of IL-15 mRNA in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) mononuclear cells (MNC) in MS, an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system where cytokines are involved. MS patients had higher numbers of IL-15 mRNA-expressing blood MNC than patients with aseptic meningo-encephalitis (AM) and healthy controls. In CSF, MS patients had even higher numbers of IL-15 mRNA-expressing cells than in blood. This discrepancy between IL-15 mRNA expression between blood and CSF MNC was not seen in AM patients. Patients examined during the secondary chronic-progressive phase of MS had higher numbers of IL-15 mRNA-expressing blood MNC compared with patients examined during the relapsing-remitting phase. Levels of IL-15 mRNA-positive blood MNC were similar in patients with AM, myasthenia gravis, non-inflammatory neurological diseases and healthy controls. Taken together these data indicate that IL-15 mRNA expression is up-regulated in MS, further suggesting a role for proinflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of MS.