Changes of circulating immune complexes in the serum and CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis

The level of circulating immune complexes (CIC) was studied before and after treatment in a group of 86 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) (36 males and 50 females) ranging in age between 20 and 30 years and in 32 controls. CIC determinations were performed both in the serum and in the CSF, using the method of precipitation in polyethylene glycol (PEG). In 61.62% of the patients the mean serum CIC values (82.44 ODU; p = 0.01) exceeded those found in the controls (60.1 ODU) while the CSF mean CIC values (21.63 ODU; p = 0.05) exceeded those in the controls in 59.30% of the patients (12.8 ODU). The prevalence of patients with CIC values exceeding the control values presented variations according to the clinical stage of disease. Thus in the acute stage 83.33% of the patients presented the highest mean serum CIC values (110.5 ODU; p = 0.05) and 100% of the patients presented the highest mean CSF CIC values (27.9 ODU). After treatment it was observed that the prevalence of patients with high CIC values decreased. In conclusion it was observed that there is a correlation between the prevalence of patients with increased CIC values in the serum and CSF, and the clinical stage and treatment administered. This observation suggests that CIC determinations both in the serum and in the CSF may constitute an immunologic marker in MS.