IntroductionTau protein is a potential marker of neuronal damage. The aim of the study is to investigate its potential role as a marker of brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS).Materials and methodsCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples were collected from 48 patients with multiple sclerosis. Total-tau (t-tau) and phospho181Thr-tau (p-tau) concentrations were assayed with commercially available INNOTEST® hTAU Ag and INNOTEST® phospho181Thr-tau(181P) and correlated with indices of brain atrophy in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical characteristics of the study population.ResultsT-tau concentration in CSF was significantly higher in relapsing-remitting (RR) compared to secondary progressive (SP) MS patients (P = 0.01). Brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) was significantly decreased in SP patients (P = 0.002). BPF in the whole study population correlated inversely with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (r = –0.51, P = 0.0002) and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS) (r = –0.42, P = 0.002). T-tau in CSF in the whole patient group correlated inversely with EDSS (r = –0.58, P = 0.0006).ConclusionsThe results of our study suggest that total-tau concentration in CSF in a MS population decreases in the course of disease and reflects degree of parenchymal brain loss.

CSF levels of tTau and S100b are elevated in patients with MS and can reflect an axonal and glial pathology. Measurement of serum concentrations of S100b may be useful for monitoring immunosuppressive therapy and may support clinical assessment. In contrast, tTau concentration did not prove to be a useful marker of mitoxantrone therapy.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The disease is characterised by inflammation with extensive immune infiltration, demyelination, axonal loss and damage of oligodendrocytes, presumably auto-immune in nature. The influence of environmental factors on the development and activity of MS has been known for a long time. Vitamin D and sun exposure are among the most important ones. Both serum vitamin D level and sun exposure independent of vitamin D production are correlated with epidemiological and clinical parameters of MS, and the impact of vitamin D on immune parameters has been clearly confirmed in experimental studies. Nevertheless, the impact on clinical aspects is inconclusive, especially when the influence of supplementation is assessed. In this work we review the state of knowledge regarding the effect of vitamin D on immune cells subsets in relation to experimental and clinical studies.

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