Cerebrospinal fluid tau protein is not a biological marker in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background:  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to progressive motor neuron cell death. Etiopathogenesis is still imperfectly known and much effort have been undertaken to find a biological marker that could help in the early diagnosis and in the monitoring of disease progression. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of tau , an axonal microtubule-associated protein, have been measured in ALS with levels found increased in some studies and unchanged in others.
Methods:  Total CSF tau level was assayed in a population of ALS patients ( n =  57) and controls ( n =  110) using a specific ELISA method.
Results:  No significant differences in the median CSF tau levels between ALS cases and controls were found [ALS: 126 pg/ml (78–222); controls: 112 pg/ml (71–188), P =  ns]. In the ALS group, the bulbar-onset patients showed increased CSF tau levels as compared with the spinal-onset cases. These differences might be related to the higher age of the bulbar-onset patients. Further, no correlations were found between CSF tau concentrations and the rate of progression of the disease.
Conclusions:  These results do not support the hypothesis that total CSF tau protein is a reliable biological marker for ALS.     

肌萎缩侧索硬化患者的脑脊液蛋白及髓鞘碱性蛋白相关研究

目的探讨肌萎缩侧索硬化(ALS)患者的脑脊液蛋白、髓鞘碱性蛋白(MBP)水平及脑脊液蛋白与临床特征之间的关系。方法回顾性研究行腰穿查脑脊液的29例确诊ALS患者,检测其脑脊液蛋白及MBP水平,并按性别、年龄、病程、起病部位及临床功能评分〔肌萎缩侧索硬化功能分级量表(ALS-FRS)评分〕等不同临床特征分组,分析不同临床特征对脑脊液蛋白水平的影响。结果 29例ALS患者脑脊液蛋白水平为(0.43±0.15)g/L,其中脑脊液蛋白轻度增高患者9例(31%),最高为0.89g/L;不同性别〔男(0.42±0.15)g/L,女(0.45±0.18)g/L,t=0.501,P=0.620〕、年龄〔60岁组(0.43±0.17)g/L,≥60岁(0.44±0.13)g/L,t=0.141,P=0.889〕、病程〔1年组(0.37±0.11)g/L,≥1年(0.49±0.17)g/L,t=-2.23,P=0.054〕、起病部位〔球部起病组(0.38±0.11),肢体起病组(0.45±0.17),t=0.330,P=0.743〕、ALS-FRS评分〔30分组(0.42±0.16)g/L,≤30分组(0.44±0.16)g/L,t=0.092,P=0.928〕分组间比较,脑脊液蛋白水平差异均无统计学意义。29例患者中13例进行了脑脊液MBP检测,MBP水平(1.66±0.78)nmol/L,13例患者MBP水平均增高,最高达3.39nmol/L。MBP水平与脑脊液蛋白水平无相关性(R=0.198,P=0.517)。结论 ALS患者脑脊液蛋白增高多见。部分ALS患者脑脊液MBP水平增高,但与脑脊液蛋白水平无相关性。     

Tau protein concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis

FUNDAMENTALS AND OBJECTIVE: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the prototype of demyelinating disease, but recently, it has been shown that the existence of axonal lesions contribute to irreversible central nervous system damage in this disease. Tau proteins are considered to be important for maintaining the stability of axonal microtubules involved in the mediation of fast axonal transport of synaptic constituents. There have been reports of increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau concentrations in patients with MS, and it has been suggested that this could be a marker of axonal damage. The objective of the present study was to elucidate whether CSF tau levels could be a marker of MS activity. PATIENT AND METHODS: We measured tau concentrations in the CSF of 20 patients with MS (nine in the first, seven in the second, one in the fourth exacerbation, and three patients with chronic progressive course) and 32 age- and sex-matched controls, using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. RESULTS: The CSF tau concentrations of patients with MS did not differ from those of controls, and they were not correlated with age at onset and duration of the disease. CONCLUSION: CSF tau concentrations are not a marker of MS activity.     

Antioxidant capacity and protein oxidation in cerebrospinal fluid of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract Background The causes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are unknown. A bulk of evidence supports the hypothesis that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction can be implicated in ALS pathogenesis. Methods We assessed, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in plasma of 49 ALS patients and 8 controls, the amount of oxidized proteins (AOPP, advanced oxidation protein products), the total antioxidant capacity (FRA, the ferric reducing ability), and, in CSF, two oxidation products, the 4-hydroxynonenal and the sum of nitrites plus nitrates. Results The FRA was decreased (p = 0.003) in CSF, and AOPP were increased in both CSF (p = 0.0039) and plasma (p = 0.001) of ALS patients. The content of AOPP was differently represented in CSF of ALS clinical subsets, resulting in increase in the common and pseudopolyneuropathic forms (p < 0.001) and nearly undetectable in the bulbar form, as in controls. The sum of nitrites plus nitrates and 4-hydroxynonenal were unchanged in ALS patients compared with controls. Conclusion Our results, while confirming the occurrence of oxidative stress in ALS, indicate how its effects can be stratified and therefore implicated differently in the pathogenesis of different clinical forms of ALS.     

Reduced angiotensin II levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background – Recent studies suggest that angiotensin II, a major substrate in the renin–angiotensin system, protects neurons through stimulation of its type 2 receptors. However, quite a few clinical studies of angiotensin II levels have shown their relation to disease severity in neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Aims of the study – To clarify the significance of angiotensin II in ALS. Methods – We assayed angiotensin II concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 23 patients with ALS, nine patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and 24 control individuals. We evaluated the disability levels of patients with ALS using the Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS‐R) and calculated the disease progression rate (DPR). Results – CSF angiotensin II levels were significantly lower in the ALS group compared with that in the control group (P = 0.00864), and showed a significant positive correlation with scores on the ALSFRS‐R, and a significant negative correlation with the DPR. Conclusions – In the present study, we reveal for the first time that angiotensin II levels in the CSF from patients with ALS are significantly reduced and significantly associated with disease severity and progression rate. These findings suggest that reduced levels of intrathecal angiotensin II may play a role in ALS.     

Free amino acid pattern of cerebrospinal fluid in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The concentrations of 23 amino acids (AA) were measured in CSF of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A micro-method with picomole sensitivity was used. Compared with healthy controls no significant alterations of single or total AA concentrations were found. These results contrast with data published in a previous study and will be discussed in detail.     

Calpain-like and lactate dehydrogenase activities in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is neurodegenerative disease accompanied by the death of motor neurons. To clarify the role of calpain in the ALS-induced death of neurons, we measured the calpainlike and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of ALS patients and patients of a control group. The LDH activity measured in the CSF of patients with ALS was significantly higher than that in the control which, presumably, reflected the death of CNS neurons during ALS. At pH 7.4 the calpainlike activity (CLA) of the ALS patients did not differ from that of the control groups, but at pH 5.5 CLA was significantly higher in the subjects with ALS. Moreover, we found a significant correlation between CLA at pH 5.5 and the LDH activity in patients with ALS, which suggests that this calpain-like activity may be associated with neuronal death. We also present data on the dependence of the LDH and calpain-like activities on ALS type and duration and the progression rate of the disease.     

肌萎缩侧索硬化症脑脊液中生物标记物研究进展

肌萎缩侧索硬化症是一种慢性进展性疾病,目前病因及发病机制不明,尚无有效的生物标志物协助疾病诊断、判断疾病进展及预后。生物标记物研究通过对病理生理机制的探索可以加深对疾病的理解,有助于疾病诊断、分类、药效学检测,及识别新的药物靶点,为新疗法实施提供方向。 [引用格式:国际神经病学神经外科学杂志, 2021, 48(4): 392-395.]     

Modulators of cystein proteases and cell-death markers in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective damage of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The aim of the current study was to reveal new specific markers of neurodegeneration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of ALS patients. We measured the activities of substances that modulate the activity of cysteine proteases (calpain, caspase, and cathepsin B) in the CSF of ALS patients. The CSF of ALS patients, in contrast to the CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis, inhibits calpain and cathepsin B significantly more strongly, as compared to the control CSF. The LDH activity and the concentration of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in the CSF of control patients and ALS patients did not differ. The concentration of neurofilament heavy chains in the CSF was significantly higher in the ALS patients as compared to the control group. The albumin index increased in 50% of all ALS patients. We also have shown a correlation between the cathepsin inhibitor activity, the concentration of neurofilament heavy chains, and the albumin index and the clinical findings of the disease. According to our data, the concentration of neurofilament heavy chains is a sensitive marker of neurodegenerative process during ALS. An increase in the CSF inhibiting activity with respect to cathepsin B and calpain is specific for ALS and may confirm the role of an imbalance of proteolytic systems in the pathogenesis of this disease.     

Identification of Gal(β1–3)GalNAc bearing glycoproteins in cerebrospinal fluid of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients

Glycoproteins in cerebrospinal fluid of 55 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), six disease controls (multifocal motor neuropathy, sensorimotor neuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, spinal muscular atrophy type II, motor neuropathy with monoclonal gammopathy) and 20 healthy controls were separated by PAGE electrophoresis and then detected immunochemically with peanut agglutinin (PNA). In 36 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients the 262 kDa glycoprotein was significantly increased (over the normal mean +/- SD x 2), which was associated with a decrease in the 114 kDa fraction. In the remaining patients, both fractions were either equal in concentration or the 114 kDa glycoprotein predominated. In normal cerebrospinal fluid, the 114 kDa glycoprotein predominated over the other glycoproteins. The total amount of separated glycoproteins was increased in 15 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. In 12 of them it was followed by an increase in the percentage of the 262 kDa glycoprotein. There was no correlation between the content of the peanut agglutinin-labelled glycoproteins and the patients' age, duration and severity of the disease. There was a correlation between the 262 kDa glycoprotein being increased in cerebrospinal fluid and the electrophysiological pattern of denervation seen in electromyographic study. The glycoproteins change, similar to that occurring in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, was also observed in one case of multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). We suggest that in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multifocal motor neuropathy, the peanut agglutinin-labelled glycoproteins are released in excess from the nervous tissues into the cerebrospinal fluid as a result of neuronal degeneration. The question to be answered is, whether the released glycoproteins are becoming targets for auto-antibodies.     

Enhanced Fos expression in rat lumbar spinal cord cultured with cerebrospinal fluid from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

School, Okayama, Japan The etiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains unknown although an existence of neurotoxic substances in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from ALS patients have been postulated. In order to investigate a possible effect of CSF from ALS patients on cellular signaling in spinal neurons, we compared Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) in organotypic cultures of rat lumbar spinal cord after addition of CSF from ALS patients or another neurologic disease. Fos-LI was normally present predominantly in dorsal horn neurons, whereas only a few ventral horn neurons were positive for Fos-LI. The number of Fos-LI positive neurons significantly increased in dorsal horn with addition of CSF from ALS patients as well as glutamate at 100 μM. However, the increase was not observed with addition of CSF from other neurologic diseases. The increase in Fos-LI positive neurons in dorsal horn was reversed by a further supplement of MK801, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, but not of CNQX, an a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)/kainate antagonist. These results indicate that there may be substances in CSF from ALS patients that stimulate Fos expression in certain populations of spinal neurons via the NMDA receptors. [Neurol Res 1999; 21: 309-312]     

Cerebrospinal fluid Flt3 ligand level in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

OBJECTIVES: The Flt3 ligand (FL) is a cytokine with a neurotrophic and antiapoptotic activity in the central nervous system that induces the survival of neurons. The aim of the study was to measure levels of FL in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 23 ALS patients and 23 people in the control group. The measurement of FL in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum was performed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent method. RESULTS: Results showed that CSF FL levels were significantly increased in ALS patients compared with the controls (P < 0.05) but the serum levels of this cytokine did not differ from the controls (P > 0.05). There was no significant correlation between CSF and serum FL levels and clinical parameters of ALS (P > 0.05). The difference in CSF/serum ratio of FL between ALS patients and controls was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: An increase in CSF FL levels in ALS patients, observed in this study, could be a compensative response for neurodegeneration but may also reflect increased diffusion of this cytokine into the central nervous system caused by blood-CSF barrier dysfunction.     

Decreased cerebrospinal fluid cGMP levels in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Summary. The role of cyclic guanosine 5 monophosphate (cGMP) in neurodegeneration of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is still controversial. The aim of this study was to measure levels of cGMP in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with ALS, and to investigate whether there is a relationship between CSF cGMP levels and clinical parameters of the disease. The study involved 30 ALS and 20 control group patients. The CSF cGMP was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that levels of CSF cGMP were significantly decreased in the group of ALS patients compared to controls and did not depend on clinical state of ALS patients, type of ALS onset, or the duration of the disease. Decreased levels of CSF cGMP observed in this study may suggest the role of cGMP in neurodegeneration in ALS. The CSF cGMP cannot be a marker of the disease activity.     

Cerebrospinal fluid and serum antibodies against neurofilaments in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background: The aim of the study was to assess autoimmune involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: We measured IgG antibodies against light (NFL) and medium (NFM) subunits of neurofilaments using ELISA in paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from 38 ALS patients and 20 controls. Results: Serum levels of anti‐NFL were higher in ALS patients than in controls (P < 0.005). Serum anti‐NFL antibodies and intrathecal anti‐NFM antibodies were related to patient disability (serum anti‐NFL: P < 0.05; intrathecal anti‐NFM: P < 0.05). Anti‐NFL levels were significantly correlated with anti‐NFM levels in ALS (P < 0.001) and the control group (P < 0.0001) in the CSF, but not in serum. Anti‐NFL and anti‐NFM antibodies significantly correlated between serum and CSF in the ALS group (anti‐NFL: P < 0.0001; anti‐NFM: P < 0.001) and in the control group (anti‐NFL: P < 0.05; anti‐NFM: P < 0.05). Conclusions: Autoimmune humoral response to neurocytoskeletal proteins is associated with ALS.     

Cerebrospinal fluid levels of alpha-tocopherol in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Summary. We compared CSF and serum levels, and the CSF/serum ratio of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), measured by HPLC, in 30 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) and 78 matched controls. The mean CSF and serum vitamin E levels did not differ significantly between the 2 study groups. These values were not influenced by the clinical form (spinal versus bulbar) of SALS. CSF alpha-tocopherol levels did not correlate with age, age at onset, and duration of the disease. These results suggest that CSF and serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations are unrelated with the risk for ALS. Received February 25, 1998; accepted April 23, 1998     

Increased TDP-43 protein in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

There is mounting pathological, biochemical and genetic evidence that the metabolism and aggregation of the 43-kDa transactive response (TAR)-DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of sporadic and some forms of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Recently, it was reported using an ELISA system that elevated levels of TDP-43 were detected in plasma samples from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia, compared to healthy controls. To determine whether quantification of TDP-43 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is potentially informative in the diagnosis of ALS, we measured the concentration, by a similar ELISA method, of TDP-43 in CSF from 30 patients with ALS (diagnosed according to the revised El Escorial criteria) and 29 age-matched control patients without any neurodegenerative disease. We found that, as a group, the ALS patients had significantly higher levels of TDP-43 in their CSF than the age-matched controls (6.92 ± 3.71 ng/ml in ALS versus 5.31 ± 0.94 ng/ml in controls, p < 0.05), with levels of TDP-43 in CSF elevated beyond 95% upper confidence level for the control group in six (20%) of the patients with sporadic ALS. All the six patients with higher levels of CSF TDP-43 were examined within 10 months of the onset of illness. The patients examined within 10 months of onset showed significantly higher levels of CSF TDP-43 (8.24 ± 4.72 ng/ml) than those examined after 11 months or more of onset (5.41 ± 0.66 ng/ml, p < 0.05). These results suggest that the levels of TDP-43 in CSF may increase in the early stage of ALS. We also confirmed the existence of the TDP-43 protein in CSF from some patients with ALS, and a control subject, by western blotting of proteins immunocaptured from the CSF samples. Raised TDP-43 levels in the CSF may preempt the formation of TDP-43 pathology in the central nervous system, or correlate with early-stage TDP-43 pathology, and accordingly be a biomarker for the early stage of ALS.