Soluble CD163 Levels Correlate with EDSS in Female Patients with Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Undergoing Teriflunomide Treatment

Background: multiple sclerosis (MS) presentation varies depending on the location and severity of the lesions affecting different areas of the spinal cord and brain. Extensive research has focused on specific systems to detect the disease in its various stages. The objective of this study was to investigate the concentration of the soluble scavenger receptor for haptoglobin–haemoglobin complex (Hb-Hp), sCD163, which is mostly expressed by monocytes and protects tissues from oxidative damage, in patients with MS. Methods: enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) analysis was conducted in plasma samples collected from twenty-three relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) subjects treated with teriflunomide and ten healthy control subjects (HCs). Results: the study results showed no differences between RRMS subjects and HCs in the concentration of CD163. A significantly higher concentration of sCD163 in RRMS was found in men in comparison to women (p = 0.038, Cohen d = 0.97). Conclusions: a significant correlation between disease activity, estimated using plasma-soluble CD163 (sCD163) and clinical assessment of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (p = 0.021), was detected in female patients with RRMS.