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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Antibodies, Neutralizing, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Flow Cytometry, Humans, Immunosuppressive Agents, Interferon-beta, Interleukin-7, Multiple Sclerosis, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Receptors, Interleukin-7, T-Lymphocytes.
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Does interferon beta treatment of multiple sclerosis increase serum interleukin-7? Context: Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a non-redundant cytokine for T-cell development and survival. The IL-7 signaling pathway has been genetically and functionally associated with several autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). The objective of this paper is to elucidate the effect of the widely used immunomodulatory MS therapy interferon beta (IFNβ) on IL-7 homeostasis. Swedish MS patients were screened for IL-7 concentration in serum and blood cell counts. IL-7 receptor alpha chain (IL-7Rα) expression was determined by semi-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry. IFNβ treatment led to significantly increased serum IL-7 levels (mean: 17 pg/ml) compared with healthy controls (mean: 7.6 pg/ml) and natalizumab-treated patients (mean: 5.3 pg/ml). In vitro and in vivo, peripheral blood leukocytes showed decreased IL-7Rα expression and IL-7 consumption upon IFNβ exposure, suggesting that their IL-7 responsiveness is impaired during treatment.
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MS patients undergoing IFNβ treatment have increased serum IL-7 levels and decreased IL-7 consumption. Given IL-7's important role in T-cell immunity, this relationship may be highly relevant for IFNβ's treatment efficacy. Final Decision: yes