Levels of soluble TNF-RII are increased in serum of patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis

The levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II (sTNF-RII) were determined in serum of 161 untreated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with different clinical forms and 46 healthy controls (HC) by ELISA. Our results show that serum sTNF-RII levels were significantly increased in patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS) compared with other MS forms and HC. Although sTNF-RII levels significantly increased over a 2-year follow-up period in a subgroup of PPMS patients, they could not discriminate between patients with and without disability progression. Additional studies are needed to further implicate sTNF-RII in patients with PPMS.