Reduced socs2 expression and elevated IL-4/IL-23 levels in multiple sclerosis patients: Implications for immune...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, chronic, and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Dysregulated cytokine signaling, particularly through the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family, is implicated in MS pathogenesis. This study evaluates the expression of SOCS genes, and plasma levels of interleukins IL-23 and IL-4 in patients with MS. Blood samples were collected from MS patients and controls, and expression of the CIS, SOCS2, SOCS4, and SOCS6 genes was analyzed by RT-qPCR, and cytokine levels of IL-23 and IL-4 were measured using ELISA. A significant reduction in SOCS2 expression was observed in MS patients compared to controls (p = 0.03), with SOCS2 showing the greatest downregulation among the SOCS genes analyzed (0.694-fold; p = 0.00002). In female patients, SOCS2 and CIS expression levels were reduced compared with healthy females (0.726- and 0.655-fold, respectively), with SOCS2 showing significance (p = 0.03). Plasma levels of IL-4 (2.69 pg/mL) and IL-23 (58 pg/mL) were significantly higher in MS patients than in controls (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively), with IL-23 levels markedly higher than IL-4 (p = 0.0001). These findings suggest that SOCS2 may modulate immune responses in MS and could represent a potential target for future therapeutic strategies.