[Blood-C.S.F. barrier impairment in multiple sclerosis (author's transl)]

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Immunology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS).
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring MS.
• Understanding the relationship between disease duration and CSF findings is important for prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
• To correlate CSF immune reactions and blood-CSF barrier function with the duration of illness.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 68 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
• Evaluation of immune reactions within the CSF.
• Assessment of blood-CSF barrier integrity in relation to disease length.

Main Results:

• CSF immune reactions in MS patients align with previously reported findings.
• A progressive increase in blood-CSF barrier impairment is observed within the first 10 years of MS.
• Severe MS stages and acute phases can exhibit similar CSF immune reactions and barrier disturbances.

Conclusions:

• Blood-CSF barrier impairment in MS, particularly during severe CSF reactions, may indicate increased pathomorphological CNS changes.
• These changes are most likely to occur within the first decade of the illness.