BAFF serum and CSF levels in patients with multiple sclerosis and infectious nervous system diseases

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common immune-mediated CNS disease, characterised by demyelination and progressive neurological disability. The B-cell activating factor BAFF has been described as one important factor in the pathophysiology of different autoimmune diseases.

We measured BAFF levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 50 consecutive patients with MS and 35 patients with infectious CNS disease (ID). 52 patients with other, non-inflammatory disorders (OND), served as controls.

BAFF-serum levels in ID patients were higher than in patients diagnosed with MS (ID 0.55 ± 0.24 ng/ml, MS 0.43 ± 0.14 ng/ml, OND 0.45 ± 0.24 ng/ml; p = 0.09). Interestingly, MS patients had lower BAFF CSF levels compared to the controls and ID patients, and the CSF levels in the latter were elevated compared to those of the controls (MS 0.17 ± 0.11 ng/ml, OND 0.25 ± 0.14 ng/ml, ID 0.97 ± 0.78 ng/ml; p < 0.001).

The ID patients' having higher absolute BAFF levels in the CSF than in the serum indicates that the increased BAFF CSF levels were caused by intrathecal synthesis rather than passive transfer via a disturbed blood-brain-barrier. The significantly decreased BAFF CSF levels in MS patients were a surprising result of our study. Although it has been reported that astrocytes in active MS lesions can express BAFF, the soluble form was not increased in the CSF of MS patients. It remains unclear whether the inflammatory features of active MS plaques are truly represented by the CSF compartment.