The cytokine signature in multiple sclerosis: a study during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

While core MS-associated cytokines remain temporally stable, the pandemic period was associated with a shift toward peripheral immune activation at disease onset in pandMS. These findings likely reflect environmental and behavioral changes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic rather than direct viral effects. Our results highlight the dynamic interplay between central and peripheral immune mechanisms in early MS and reinforce the potential role of environmental exposures in modulating disease immunopathogenesis.