Assessment of the impact of interferon-ß and rituximab on NLRP3 and AIM2 expression and IL-1β levels in patients with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Inflammasomes, particularly NLRP3 and AIM2, have been implicated in MS pathogenesis. Interferon-β (IFN-β) and Rituximab (RTX) are treatment agents for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), but their impact on inflammasome regulation remains unclear. This study evaluates the expression of NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes in MS patients responding to IFN-β and RTX, alongside newly diagnosed cases and healthy controls. Blood samples from IFN-β-treated patients (<i>n</i> = 23), RTX-treated patients (<i>n</i> = 23), newly diagnosed people (<i>n</i> = 20), and healthy controls (n = 12) were analysed. mRNA levels of NLRP3 and AIM2 were measured by RT-PCR, and plasma IL-1β was assessed using ELISA. Results revealed AIM2 expression was significantly higher in RTX-treated patients compared to other groups, while NLRP3 showed no significant differences. IL-1β levels were elevated in all patient groups, but no correlations were found between disease/treatment duration and inflammasome or IL-1β levels. RTX significantly increases AIM2 expression, suggesting its potential as a biomarker or therapeutic target in MS. Further research is needed to clarify AIM2’s role in disease processes.