Aziza Alrafiah^1,2 , Zaher M.A.F³, Khloud Algothmi⁴, Khlood Mehdar⁵, Saad Alqahtani⁶, Khuzama Al-Ammari¹

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the serum levels of cytokines, interleukins (IL) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and compare with those in healthy individuals. Methods: Twenty-two (22) adult patients with MS and 44 healthy controls, matched for age and gender, and visiting the King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were divided into groups I and II, respectively. Serum levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor and interleukins were determined for both groups. Cytokine levels were assessed using Luminex® xMAP® technology in 22 Saudi MS patients and 22 matched healthy controls. Results: There were no significant differences in mean age between Group I (30.14 ± 10.51) and Group II (30.22 ± 5.22) participants (p = 0.982). Furthermore, the levels of IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and TNF-α in the serum were significantly higher in Group I patients than in controls (p < 0.0001 for all). Furthermore, a strong positive correlation was found between IFN-γ and IL-8 (r = 0.467, p = 0.028) in MS patients. Conclusion: Patients with MS release significant amounts of inflammatory cytokines, which play a crucial role in understanding the clinical course of MS. These findings enhance the understanding of MS pathophysiology and guide future studies toward developing targeted treatments to mitigate disease progression and improve patients’ quality of life.