Multiplex array analysis of circulating cytokines and chemokines in natalizumab-treated patients with multiple sclerosis

•Nineteen Natalizumab-treated Multiple Sclerosis patients were followed for 21 months.•Expression of 48 cytokines/chemokines was measured in sera at three time points.•Decreased concentration of IL-10, IL1ra, IL7 and IL16 were observed.•No association with replication of Polyomavirus JC was reported.•Natalizumab has marginal impact on the systemic immunity.

Natalizumab greatly reduces inflammatory relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) by blocking the integrin-mediated leukocyte traffic to the brain, but less is known about its effects on the systemic immunity. We measured 48 cytokines/chemokines in sera from 19 natalizumab-treated MS patients. Serum concentrations of both anti-(IL-10, IL1ra) and pro-inflammatory (IL7, IL16) molecules decreased after 21-month treatment, without associations to unbalanced Th2/Th1cytokine ratios, clinical responses, and blood/urine replication of polyomavirus JC (JCPyV). No patient developed the JCPyV-related progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), the major risk factor of natalizumab therapy. Our data suggest that natalizumab has marginal impact on the systemic immunity.

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