Elevated plasma inflammatory mediators in post-polio syndrome: No association with long-term functional decline

•A key feature of post-polio syndrome (PPS) is progressive loss of muscle strength.•In other chronic diseases muscle wasting has been linked to systemic inflammation.•PPS-patients had significantly increased levels of plasma TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and leptin compared to healthy controls.•Raised systemic levels of inflammatory mediators were not associated with a faster rate of clinical decline.

A key feature of post-polio syndrome (PPS) is progressive loss of muscle strength. In other chronic diseases systemic inflammation has been linked to muscle wasting. In this study plasma TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and leptin levels were significantly increased in PPS-patients compared to healthy controls. There was however no association between these raised systemic levels of inflammatory mediators and long-term decline in quadriceps strength or other clinical parameters. In conclusion, there is evidence for systemic inflammation in PPS, yet the relationship with clinical deterioration remains tenuous.