leukotriene-c4 and Multiple-Sclerosis

Leukotrienes B4 and C4 have been assayed in CSF of 24 patients with the attacks or slowing-progressing course of multiple sclerosis, and in 23 patients with other noninflammatory diseases. Leukotrienes concentrations have been assayed with RIA technique with the use of commercially available kits manufactured by Amersham. Leukotrienes B4 and C4 levels in CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis have been 91.8 +/- 5.6, and 88.6 +/- 7.5 pg, and have been significantly higher than those in other neurological disorders (p < 0.01). Mean LTB4 and LTC4 levels have been significantly lower in patients with atherosclerotic dementia (69, 12.2 and 63, 02.9 pg/ml) or in patients with headache (72.7 +/- 2.8 and 64.5 +/- 8.2 pg/ml). Higher LTB4 and LTC4 levels in patients with multiple sclerosis is probably due to both increased penetration through blood-brain barrier and their synthesis in blood-brain barrier, and cerebral nervous tissue. Further investigations are necessary to show whether LTB4 and LTC4 levels may indicate a stage of inflammatory process activity and enable to draw any conclusions on efficacy of anti-inflammatory therapy.

Topics: Blood-Brain Barrier; Humans; Leukotriene B4; Leukotriene C4; Multiple Sclerosis; Radioimmunoassay

The role of leukotrienes (LTs) in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been controversially discussed in the past. Studies of LTs in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed different results mainly because of analytical difficulties.. In the present study we used highly sensitive and specific analytical methods for measuring LTs in the CSF as well as in urine samples from 20 patients with active MS and 20 control patients with noninflammatory neurological disorders.. LTB4 concentrations in CSF were almost twice as high in MS patients compared with controls (P < 0.001). CSF concentrations of the cysteinyl-LTs (LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4) as well as urinary LTE4 showed no significant differences compared with controls (P > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant association between CSF pleocytosis, clinical severity or time of disease onset.. The increased concentration of LTB4 in the CSF of MS patients may indicate a biological importance for this mediator in MS.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Female; Humans; Leukotriene B4; Leukotriene C4; Leukotriene D4; Leukotriene E4; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis; Severity of Illness Index