Absence of demonstrable immune dysregulation in motor neuron disease

Patients with motor neuron disease (MND) (n =33) free of infection were assessed for symptoms of autoimmunity and evidence of peripheral immune activation. Clinical features of autoimmune disease and antinuclear antibodies were notably absent in all patients. Compared with healthy controls, patients with MND had no significant difference in lymphocyte subsets (CD4/8 T cells, B and NK cells). Serum and whole blood endotoxin and phytohaemagglutinin stimulated levels of interferon gamma, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, interleukin (IL) 1beta, IL4, IL10, tumour necrosis factor alpha and soluble CD23 were no different between patients with MND and healthy controls. Our results confirm the absence of significant elevations of immune regulatory proteins in the peripheral circulation of patients with MND. Copyright 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.