TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA AND INTERFERON-GAMMA SYNTHESIS BY CEREBROSPINAL FLUID-DERIVED T-CELL CLONES IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

T cell clones derived from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were analysed for their capacity to produce interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). They were also compared with liver-infiltrating T cell clones from patients with chronic active hepatitis. All the CSF T clones (both CD4+ and CD8+) produced large amounts of IFN-γ and particularly of TNF-α, that was synthesized in a significantly larger amount than compared clones. Moreover, they were capable of secreting IL-2, but not IL-4. From our results, we conclude that first, the CSF CD4+ T clones could constitute a subset with functional properties similar to the T helper 1 (Th1)/inflammatory cell subset of the mouse; and second, the large amounts of TNF produced by CSF T cell clones strongly suggests a significant role for this cytokine as well as of IFN-γ in MS immunopathogenesis.