Cytokine pattern in the cerebrospinal fluid from patients with GBS and CIDP

Macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and, less frequently, IL-1β and IL-6 were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (SF) from Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) patients. IL-1α, IL-2, IL-10, TNFα, and IFNγ were not found. Detectable cytokine levels were not observed in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) SF nor in any of the sera studied. These findings suggest a prominent intrathecal activation of cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage (MØ) in GBS, and further support the hypothesis of a crucial role for MØ in GBS immunopathology.