Expression of B-cell-activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) and its receptors in multiple sclerosis.

The role of B cells and antibodies in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is controversial. We investigated the expression of B-cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF), a protein indispensable for B-cell survival, and of its three receptors in MS patients and controls. BAFF mRNA levels in monocytes, and BAFF-receptor mRNA in B and T cells, were higher in patients than in healthy controls; yet, BAFF protein levels in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma were similar in patients and headache controls. In addition, each MS disease course was associated with a unique expression pattern for all four molecules.