Seasonal variation of interferon‐γ production in progressive multiple sclerosis

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Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. There is increased interferon (IFN)-γ secretion in MS patients in vitro, and IFN-γ administration induces exacerbations of disease suggesting a link between IFN-γ and disease activity. We observed significantly increased IFN-γ production in the autumn and winter months compared with the spring and summer months in chronic progressive MS, and this increase was linked to endogenous interleukin (IL)-12 production. Increased seasonal IFN-γ was not observed in normal control subjects, and there were no seasonal changes in IL-10 in progressive MS. These results suggest a potential environmental link between dysregulated IFN-γ production and MS disease progression and pathogenesis.