A poster on the relationship between oxidative stress and chemokines in multiple sclerosis (MS) was presented and well received last week at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in San Diego. To summarize our investigation, chemokines are known to modulate generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the site of inflammation. This association between ROS and inflammation, was viewed as a one-way process, i.e. immune cells activated by chemokines produced ROS. However, excessive ROS production disturbs redox status, damages macromolecules, and can modulate the expression of a variety of immune and inflammatory molecules, exacerbating inflammation and affecting tissue damage. We found that the levels of the chemokines – IL-8/CXCL8, MCP-1/CCL2 and IP-10/CXCL10 are increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patients with increased oxidative stress. We are currently investigating this interplay between oxidative stress and immune activity at a cellular level.