This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Rajda, C Articles by Bergquist, J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rajda, C Articles by Bergquist, J Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The norepinephrine level is decreased in the lymphocytes of long-term interferon-beta-treated multiple sclerosis patients

Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Göteborg University, Sahlgrenska University Hospital Mölndal, SE-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden

K Bencsik

Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary

J Füvesi

Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary

E Seres

Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary

L Vécsei

Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary, Neurology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and University of Szeged, H-6725 Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6., Hungary

J Bergquist

Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Göteborg University, Sahlgrenska University Hospital Mölndal, SE-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 599, SE- 75124 Uppsala, Sweden, jonas.bergquist{at}kemi.uu.se

The mutual involvement of dopamine and its metabolites in the nervous and immune systems has the potential to provide information on the interaction of these two systems. During a 24-hour period, we used capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection to repeatedly measure the intracellular catecholamine concentrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients receiving interferon (IFN)-beta-1b (n = 13), and those of IFN-naïve RRMS patients receiving their first IFN-beta-1a injection (n = 19) during this study, and compared them with the levels in healthy controls (n = 12). At baseline, the norepinephrine level was significantly decreased (P = 0.003) in the long-term IFN MS patients compared with the controls. The Time x Group interactions for dopamine (P= 0.5854) and norepinephrine (P = 0.6192) were not significant. The group effects for the individual drugs were P = 0.3529 and 0.1282, respectively. The lower norepinephrine level at baseline in the long-term IFN MS group suggests an immunologically stable phase, in line with our previous findings. This is the first report of the effects of IFN-beta administration on intracellular catecholamines in MS patients. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the immune reactions affected by the catecholamines in MS and to evaluate the roles of these potential immunotransmitters.

Key Words: capillary electrophoresis • catecholamine • dopamine • human peripheral blood lymphocyte • interferon-beta • multiple sclerosis • norepinephrine • relapsing-remitting

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 12, No. 3, 265-270 (2006)
DOI: 10.1191/135248506ms1269oa


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?