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Updated: Mar 28, 2026

A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data
Published on: December 9, 2015
A spring to summer shift of pro-inflammatory cytokine production in multiple sclerosis patients
Alfredo Damasceno1, Adriel Santos Moraes2, Alessandro Farias2
1Department of Neurology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil; Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil.
Abstract:
Higher MS relapse frequency is observed during warmer months in different regions, but evidence for an underlying immunological variation is lacking. Therefore, we investigated seasonal variations of cytokine production in relapsing-remitting MS patients. Twenty-one patients and eight controls had blood samples drawn in each season, evaluating for IL-10, IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ. The lowest levels of cytokine production were observed in spring samples, with a significant increase from spring to summer for most cytokines, and especially IFN-γ and TNF-α. This phenomenon may underlie the higher prevalence of clinical and subclinical MS activity observed in warmer months.
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