Urokinase, CX3CL1, CCL2, TRAIL and IL‐18 induced by interferon‐β treatment

Objective To identify serum proteins associated with MS and affected by interferon beta treatment. Methods Plasma samples from 29 untreated relapsing‐remitting MS patients and 15 healthy controls were investigated with a multiplexed panel containing 92 proteins related to inflammation. Follow‐up samples were available from 13 patients at 1 and 3 months after initiation of treatment with interferon beta‐1a. Results Ten proteins were differentially expressed in MS patients. Five of these were altered by treatment with IFN‐β 1a: uPA, CX3CL1, CCL2, TRAIL and IL18. Conclusion CCL2 and TRAIL were confirmed to be modulated with interferon beta treatment in MS. As novel findings, we now report that uPA and CX3CL1 were differentially expressed in MS and increased after IFN‐beta‐1a treatment. Conflicting results have been reported on how interferon beta affects IL‐18.