1
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Fu J, Lai X, Wei Q, Chen X, Shang H. Associations of cerebrospinal fluid profiles with severity and mortality risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1375892. [PMID: 38812975 PMCID: PMC11133581 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1375892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The relationship between routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing and the disease phenotype of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is unclear, and there are some contradictions in current studies. Methods This study aimed to analyze the relationship between CSF profiles and disease phenotype in ALS patients. We collected 870 ALS patients and 96 control subjects admitted to West China Hospital of Sichuan University. CSF microprotein, albumin, IgG, index of IgG (IgGindex), albumin quotient (QALB), and serum IgG were examined. Results In ALS patients, CSF IgG, and QALB were significantly increased, while CSF IgGindex was decreased, compared with control subjects. Approximately one-third of ALS patients had higher CSF IgG levels. The multiple linear regression analysis identified that CSF IgGindex was weakly negatively associated with ALS functional rating scale revised (ALSFRS-R) scores (β = -0.062, p = 0.041). This significance was found in male ALS but not in female ALS. The Cox survival analyses found that upregulated CSF IgG was significantly associated with the increased mortality risk in ALS [HR = 1.219 (1.010-1.470), p = 0.039]. Conclusion In the current study, the higher CFS IgG was associated with increased mortality risk of ALS. CSF IgGindex may be associated with the severity of ALS. These findings may be sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Fu
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Rare Disease Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohui Lai
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qianqian Wei
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Rare Disease Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueping Chen
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Rare Disease Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Rare Disease Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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2
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Bagyinszky E, Hulme J, An SSA. Studies of Genetic and Proteomic Risk Factors of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Inspire Biomarker Development and Gene Therapy. Cells 2023; 12:1948. [PMID: 37566027 PMCID: PMC10417729 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease affecting the upper and lower motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, motor impairments, disabilities and death. Approximately 5-10% of ALS cases are associated with positive family history (familial ALS or fALS), whilst the remainder are sporadic (sporadic ALS, sALS). At least 50 genes have been identified as causative or risk factors for ALS. Established pathogenic variants include superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1), chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (c9orf72), TAR DNA Binding Protein (TARDBP), and Fused In Sarcoma (FUS); additional ALS-related genes including Charged Multivesicular Body Protein 2B (CHMP2B), Senataxin (SETX), Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), TANK Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1) and NIMA Related Kinase 1 (NEK1), have been identified. Mutations in these genes could impair different mechanisms, including vesicle transport, autophagy, and cytoskeletal or mitochondrial functions. So far, there is no effective therapy against ALS. Thus, early diagnosis and disease risk predictions remain one of the best options against ALS symptomologies. Proteomic biomarkers, microRNAs, and extracellular vehicles (EVs) serve as promising tools for disease diagnosis or progression assessment. These markers are relatively easy to obtain from blood or cerebrospinal fluids and can be used to identify potential genetic causative and risk factors even in the preclinical stage before symptoms appear. In addition, antisense oligonucleotides and RNA gene therapies have successfully been employed against other diseases, such as childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which could also give hope to ALS patients. Therefore, an effective gene and biomarker panel should be generated for potentially "at risk" individuals to provide timely interventions and better treatment outcomes for ALS patients as soon as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bagyinszky
- Graduate School of Environment Department of Industrial and Environmental Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea;
| | - John Hulme
- Graduate School of Environment Department of Industrial and Environmental Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea;
| | - Seong Soo A. An
- Department of Bionano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
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3
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Gong Z, Gao L, Lu Y, Wang Z. CSF p-tau as a potential cognition impairment biomarker in ALS. Front Neurol 2022; 13:991143. [PMID: 36388201 PMCID: PMC9663818 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.991143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum tau (t-tau, p-tau) are potential biomarkers for neurodegeneration in Alzheimer disease (AD), but their role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is unclear. Objectives The aim of our study was to evaluate CSF and serum p-tau and t-tau in patients with ALS and to analyze the correlation and clinical parameters between them. Methods CSF and serum samples were obtained from 90 patients with ALS, 48 other neurological disease (OND), and 20 with AM (ALS mimic, AM) diseases. The levels of p-tau and t-tau in the CSF and serum were assessed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and disease progression parameters, including the duration, the ALSFRS-R score, disease progression rate (DPR), the upper motor neuron (UMN) score, the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) score, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, and the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) results, were analyzed by registered neurologists. Statistical analyses were performed using Prism software. Results Compared with controls, patients with ALS displayed significantly lower levels of CSF p-tau and p-tau:t-tau ratio. The CSF p-tau level in patients with ALS and cognition impairment was higher than that in patients with ALS who did not have cognition impairment. CSF p-tau level was negatively correlated with MMSE, MoCA, and ECAS total score and the specific score of ECAS in patients with ALS and cognition impairment. Conclusions The CSF p-tau level and p-tau:t-tau ratio were lower in patients with ALS than patients with OND and AM. Results suggest that CSF p-tau may be used as an index of cognition impairment in patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongying Gong
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lina Gao
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhiyun Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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4
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Farace C, Fiorito G, Pisano A, Etzi F, Sabalic A, Fenu G, Asara Y, Solinas G, Madeddu R. Human tissue lead (Pb) levels and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case–control studies. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:5851-5859. [PMID: 35809130 PMCID: PMC9474539 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-06237-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Aim To combine the current scientific literature evidence and elucidate the differences of lead (Pb) bioaccumulation in human tissues by comparing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and healthy controls. Methods We systematically searched for case–control studies on the association of Pb levels with ALS, in human cells, tissues, and body fluids (nervous tissue, muscle, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, skin appendages). Then, we performed a meta-analysis for all the tissues in which at least five case–control studies were available: whole blood (9 studies), serum/plasma (5 studies), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (6 studies). Differences between cases and controls were evaluated using standardized mean difference, and combined estimates were derived using random effect maximum likelihood (REML) meta-analyses. Results Among 1734 records, we identified 46 full-text studies, of which 14 case–control studies met the meta-analysis inclusion criteria. We found higher Pb levels in ALS cases than controls in blood (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20, 1.01; p = 0.003), plasma/serum (SMD = 0.27; 95% CI − 0.16, 0.70; p = 0.26), and CSF (SMD = 0.53; 95% CI − 0.09, 1.15; p = 0.09). Conclusions This work provides further evidence of the association between Pb bioaccumulation and ALS in body fluids. The lack of association studies in solid tissues did not allow a robust meta-analysis. Future prospective studies are needed to clarify the causality in the association of Pb bioaccumulation with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Farace
- Department of Biomedical Sciences-Histology, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
- National Institute of Biostructure and Biosystem, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Fiorito
- Department of Biomedical Science-Hygiene, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Andrea Pisano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences-Histology, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43b, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Federica Etzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences-Histology, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Angela Sabalic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences-Histology, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Grazia Fenu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences-Histology, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Yolande Asara
- Department of Biomedical Sciences-Histology, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giuliana Solinas
- Department of Biomedical Science-Hygiene, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Roberto Madeddu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences-Histology, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43b, 07100, Sassari, Italy
- National Institute of Biostructure and Biosystem, Rome, Italy
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5
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Lin NH, Yang AW, Chang CH, Perng MD. Elevated GFAP isoform expression promotes protein aggregation and compromises astrocyte function. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21614. [PMID: 33908669 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100087r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Alexander disease (AxD) caused by mutations in the coding region of GFAP is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by astrocyte dysfunction, GFAP aggregation, and Rosenthal fiber accumulation. Although how GFAP mutations cause disease is not fully understood, Rosenthal fibers could be induced by forced overexpression of human GFAP and this could be lethal in mice implicate that an increase in GFAP levels is central to AxD pathogenesis. Our recent studies demonstrated that intronic GFAP mutations cause disease by altering GFAP splicing, suggesting that an increase in GFAP isoform expression could lead to protein aggregation and astrocyte dysfunction that typify AxD. Here we test this hypothesis by establishing primary astrocyte cultures from transgenic mice overexpressing human GFAP. We found that GFAP-δ and GFAP-κ were disproportionately increased in transgenic astrocytes and both were enriched in Rosenthal fibers of human AxD brains. In vitro assembly studies showed that while the major isoform GFAP-α self-assembled into typical 10-nm filaments, minor isoforms including GFAP-δ, -κ, and -λ were assembly-compromised and aggregation prone. Lentiviral transduction showed that expression of these minor GFAP isoforms decreased filament solubility and increased GFAP stability, leading to the formation of Rosenthal fibers-like aggregates that also disrupted the endogenous intermediate filament networks. The aggregate-bearing astrocytes lost their normal morphology and glutamate buffering capacity, which had a toxic effect on neighboring neurons. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that links elevated GFAP isoform expression with GFAP aggregation and impaired glutamate transport, and suggest a potential non-cell-autonomous mechanism underlying neurodegeneration through astrocyte dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni-Hsuan Lin
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ai-Wen Yang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Chang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Der Perng
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Science, College of Life Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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6
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Benhamron S, Nitzan K, Valitsky M, Lax N, Karussis D, Kassis I, Rosenmann H. Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Exchange Therapy with Artificial CSF Enriched with Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretions Ameliorates Cognitive Deficits and Brain Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 76:369-385. [PMID: 32474465 DOI: 10.3233/jad-191219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high complexity of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the lack of effective treatments point to the need for a broader therapeutic approach to target multiple components involved in the disease pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE To test the efficacy of 'cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exchange therapy' in AD-mice. This novel therapeutic approach we recently proposed is based on the exchange of the endogenous pathogenic CSF with a new and healthy one by drainage of the endogenous CSF and its continuous replacement with artificial CSF (aCSF) enriched with secretions from human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). METHODS We treated AD-mice (amyloid-beta injected) with MSC secretions-enriched-aCSF using an intracerebroventricular CSF exchange procedure. Cognitive and histological analysis were performed. RESULTS We show that the MSC secretions enriched CSF exchange therapy improved cognitive performance, paralleled with increased neuronal counts (NeuN positive cells), reduced astrocytic burden (GFAP positive cells), and increased cell proliferation and neurogenesis (Ki67 positive cells and DCX positive cells) in the hippocampus. This beneficial effect was noted on days 5-10 following 3-consecutive daily exchange treatments (3 hours a day). A stronger effect was noted using a more prolonged CSF exchange protocol (3-consecutive daily exchange treatments with 3 additional treatments twice weekly), with cognitive follow-up performed as early as 2-3 days after treatment. Some increase in hippocampal cell proliferation, but no change in the other histological parameters, was noticed when performing CSF exchange therapy using unenriched aCSF relative to untreated AD-mice, yet smaller than with the enriched aCSF treatment. CONCLUSION These findings point to the therapeutic potential of the CSF exchange therapy using MSC secretions-enriched aCSF in AD, and might be applied to other neurodegenerative and dementia diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Benhamron
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Keren Nitzan
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michael Valitsky
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Neta Lax
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dimitrios Karussis
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ibrahim Kassis
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hanna Rosenmann
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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7
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Agnello L, Colletti T, Lo Sasso B, Vidali M, Spataro R, Gambino CM, Giglio RV, Piccoli T, Bivona G, La Bella V, Ciaccio M. Tau protein as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Eur J Neurol 2021; 28:1868-1875. [PMID: 33638255 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that total tau (tTau), tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (pTau) and pTau/tTau ratio in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we performed a retrospective observational study in a large cohort of ALS patients and controls. METHODS We enrolled 196 ALS patients and 91 controls, who included patients with ALS-mimicking diseases and those with non-neurodegenerative diseases. All patients underwent lumbar puncture for CSF analysis at the time of the diagnostic evaluation or to first referral. We measured tTau and pTau levels in the CSF by chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS Patients with ALS showed significantly higher levels of CSF tTau and a lower pTau/tTau ratio than controls (tTau: 245 vs. 146 pg/ml; p < 0.001; pTau/tTau ratio: 0.12 vs. 0.18; p < 0.001, respectively). No differences in pTau levels were detected. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed a good diagnostic accuracy of tTau and pTau/tTau ratio (tTau: area under the curve [AUC] 0.685, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.616-0.754, p = 0.039; pTau/tTau ratio: AUC 0.777, 95% CI 0.707-0.848, p < 0.001). Among ALS patients, increased tTau levels were associated with advanced age of onset, increased revised amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) score (ΔFS) rate of progression, and spinal onset. Multivariate analysis showed that in ALS patients, this biomarker was an independent negative predictor of overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that tTau and pTau/tTau ratio can be diagnostic biomarkers of ALS. In addition, CSF tTau level at diagnosis might play a relevant prognostic role in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Agnello
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Tiziana Colletti
- ALS Clinical Research Center and Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Bruna Lo Sasso
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital "P. Giaccone", Palermo, Italy
| | - Matteo Vidali
- Unit of Clinical Chemistry, Maggiore della Carità Hospital, Novara, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Maria Gambino
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Rosaria Vincenza Giglio
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Tommaso Piccoli
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulia Bivona
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo La Bella
- ALS Clinical Research Center and Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marcello Ciaccio
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital "P. Giaccone", Palermo, Italy
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8
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Banack SA, Dunlop RA, Cox PA. An miRNA fingerprint using neural-enriched extracellular vesicles from blood plasma: towards a biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease. Open Biol 2020; 10:200116. [PMID: 32574550 PMCID: PMC7333885 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease (ALS/MND) are currently not clinically available for disease diagnosis or analysis of disease progression. If identified, biomarkers could improve patient outcomes by enabling early intervention and assist in the determination of treatment efficacy. We hypothesized that neural-enriched extracellular vesicles could provide microRNA (miRNA) fingerprints with unequivocal signatures of neurodegeneration. Using blood plasma from ALS/MND patients and controls, we extracted neural-enriched extracellular vesicle fractions and conducted next-generation sequencing and qPCR of miRNA components of the transcriptome. We here report eight miRNA sequences which significantly distinguish ALS/MND patients from controls in a replicated experiment using a second cohort of patients and controls. miRNA sequences from patient blood samples using neural-enriched extracellular vesicles may yield unique insights into mechanisms of neurodegeneration and assist in early diagnosis of ALS/MND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Anne Banack
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, PO Box 3464, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
| | - Rachael Anne Dunlop
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, PO Box 3464, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
| | - Paul Alan Cox
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, PO Box 3464, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
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9
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Yang L, Lv X, Du H, Wu D, Wang M. Causal effects of serum metabolites on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A Mendelian randomization study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 97:109771. [PMID: 31669200 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Nowadays, OMIC technologies, such as genomics and metabolomics, are providing a systematic readout of genetic structures and physiological states for understanding human diseases. However, the comprehensive analysis of cross-omics is often lacking. Here, we conducted a Mendelian randomization analysis to provide a comprehensive analysis of metabolomics and genomics to estimate the causal relationships between non-targeted human serum metabolites and the development of ALS. Using genetic variants as predictors, our study detected 18 metabolites that might have causal effects on the development of ALS, including a group of gamma-glutamyl amino acids. Our findings suggested that glutathione metabolism dysfunction might be involved in the pathogenesis of ALS. Furthermore, our study provides a novel method to understand the pathogenesis of human diseases and develop therapeutic strategies for diseases by combining metabolomics with genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Yang
- Clinical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaohong Lv
- Department of Rheumatism and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hanzhi Du
- Department of Hematopathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Hematopathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Mengchang Wang
- Department of Hematopathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
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10
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Extracellular RNAs as Biomarkers of Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20133148. [PMID: 31252669 PMCID: PMC6651127 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20133148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent progress in the research for underlying mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has led to the development of potentially effective treatment, and hence increased the need for useful biomarkers that may enable early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. The deposition of abnormal proteins is a pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases, including β-amyloid in AD, α-synuclein in PD, and the transactive response DNA/RNA binding protein of 43kDa (TDP-43) in ALS. Furthermore, progression of the disease process accompanies the spreading of abnormal proteins. Extracellular proteins and RNAs, including mRNA, micro RNA, and circular RNA, which are present as a composite of exosomes or other forms, play a role in cell–cell communication, and the role of extracellular molecules in the cell-to-cell spreading of pathological processes in neurodegenerative diseases is now in the spotlight. Therefore, extracellular proteins and RNAs are considered potential biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular ALS, in which RNA dysregulation has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis. Here, we review extracellular proteins and RNAs that have been scrutinized as potential biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases, and discuss the possibility of extracellular RNAs as diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring biomarkers of sporadic ALS.
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11
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Moreno-Martinez L, Calvo AC, Muñoz MJ, Osta R. Are Circulating Cytokines Reliable Biomarkers for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis? Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20112759. [PMID: 31195629 PMCID: PMC6600567 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that has no effective treatment. The lack of any specific biomarker that can help in the diagnosis or prognosis of ALS has made the identification of biomarkers an urgent challenge. Multiple panels have shown alterations in levels of numerous cytokines in ALS, supporting the contribution of neuroinflammation to the progressive motor neuron loss. However, none of them is fully sensitive and specific enough to become a universal biomarker for ALS. This review gathers the numerous circulating cytokines that have been found dysregulated in both ALS animal models and patients. Particularly, it highlights the opposing results found in the literature to date, and points out another potential application of inflammatory cytokines as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Moreno-Martinez
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biochemistry (LAGENBIO), Faculty of Veterinary-IIS Aragón, IA2-CITA, CIBERNED, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Ana Cristina Calvo
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biochemistry (LAGENBIO), Faculty of Veterinary-IIS Aragón, IA2-CITA, CIBERNED, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - María Jesús Muñoz
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biochemistry (LAGENBIO), Faculty of Veterinary-IIS Aragón, IA2-CITA, CIBERNED, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Rosario Osta
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biochemistry (LAGENBIO), Faculty of Veterinary-IIS Aragón, IA2-CITA, CIBERNED, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
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12
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Swindell WR, Kruse CPS, List EO, Berryman DE, Kopchick JJ. ALS blood expression profiling identifies new biomarkers, patient subgroups, and evidence for neutrophilia and hypoxia. J Transl Med 2019; 17:170. [PMID: 31118040 PMCID: PMC6530130 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-019-1909-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating disease with few treatment options. Progress towards new therapies requires validated disease biomarkers, but there is no consensus on which fluid-based measures are most informative. METHODS This study analyzed microarray data derived from blood samples of patients with ALS (n = 396), ALS mimic diseases (n = 75), and healthy controls (n = 645). Goals were to provide in-depth analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), characterize patient-to-patient heterogeneity, and identify candidate biomarkers. RESULTS We identified 752 ALS-increased and 764 ALS-decreased DEGs (FDR < 0.10 with > 10% expression change). Gene expression shifts in ALS blood broadly resembled acute high altitude stress responses. ALS-increased DEGs had high exosome expression, were neutrophil-specific, associated with translation, and overlapped significantly with genes near ALS susceptibility loci (e.g., IFRD1, TBK1, CREB5). ALS-decreased DEGs, in contrast, had low exosome expression, were erythroid lineage-specific, and associated with anemia and blood disorders. Genes encoding neurofilament proteins (NEFH, NEFL) had poor diagnostic accuracy (50-53%). However, support vector machines distinguished ALS patients from ALS mimics and controls with 87% accuracy (sensitivity: 86%, specificity: 87%). Expression profiles were heterogeneous among patients and we identified two subgroups: (i) patients with higher expression of IL6R and myeloid lineage-specific genes and (ii) patients with higher expression of IL23A and lymphoid-specific genes. The gene encoding copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase (CCS) was most strongly associated with survival (HR = 0.77; P = 1.84e-05) and other survival-associated genes were linked to mitochondrial respiration. We identify a 61 gene signature that significantly improves survival prediction when added to Cox proportional hazard models with baseline clinical data (i.e., age at onset, site of onset and sex). Predicted median survival differed 2-fold between patients with favorable and risk-associated gene expression signatures. CONCLUSIONS Peripheral blood analysis informs our understanding of ALS disease mechanisms and genetic association signals. Our findings are consistent with low-grade neutrophilia and hypoxia as ALS phenotypes, with heterogeneity among patients partly driven by differences in myeloid and lymphoid cell abundance. Biomarkers identified in this study require further validation but may provide new tools for research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Swindell
- Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA. .,Department of Internal Medicine, The Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 45236, USA.
| | - Colin P S Kruse
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.,Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Edward O List
- Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.,Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.,The Diabetes Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Darlene E Berryman
- Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.,Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.,The Diabetes Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - John J Kopchick
- Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.,Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.,The Diabetes Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
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13
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Valitsky M, Benhamron S, Nitzan K, Karussis D, Ella E, Abramsky O, Kassis I, Rosenmann H. Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Exchange with Artificial CSF Enriched with Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretions Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20071793. [PMID: 30978957 PMCID: PMC6480705 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20071793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity of central nervous system (CNS) degenerative/inflammatory diseases and the lack of substantially effective treatments point to the need for a broader therapeutic approach to target multiple components involved in the disease pathogenesis. We suggest a novel approach directed for the elimination of pathogenic agents from the CNS and, in parallel, its enrichment with an array of neuroprotective substances, using a "cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exchange" procedure, in which endogenous (pathogenic) CSF is removed and replaced by artificial CSF (aCSF) enriched with secretions of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs produce a variety of neuroprotective agents and have shown beneficial effects when cells are transplanted in animals and patients with CNS diseases. Our data show that MSCs grown in aCSF secrete neurotrophic factors, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and anti-oxidant agents; moreover, MSC-secretions-enriched-aCSF exerts neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects in neuronal cell lines and spleen lymphocytes. Treatment of experimental-autoimmune-encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice with this enriched-aCSF using an intracerebroventricular (ICV) CSF exchange procedure ("CSF exchange therapy") caused a significant delay in the onset of EAE and amelioration of the clinical symptoms, paralleled by a reduction in axonal damage and demyelination. These findings point to the therapeutic potential of the CSF exchange therapy using MSC-secretions-enriched-aCSF in inflammatory/degenerative diseases of the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Valitsky
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
| | - Sandrine Benhamron
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
| | - Keren Nitzan
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
| | - Dimitrios Karussis
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
| | - Ezra Ella
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
| | - Oded Abramsky
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
| | - Ibrahim Kassis
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
| | - Hanna Rosenmann
- The Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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14
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Chaplot K, Pimpale L, Ramalingam B, Deivasigamani S, Kamat SS, Ratnaparkhi GS. SOD1 activity threshold and TOR signalling modulate VAP(P58S) aggregation via reactive oxygen species-induced proteasomal degradation in a Drosophila model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm.033803. [PMID: 30635270 PMCID: PMC6398501 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.033803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable, late-onset motor neuron disease, linked strongly to various causative genetic loci. ALS8 codes for a missense mutation, P56S, in VAMP-associated protein B (VAPB) that causes the protein to misfold and form cellular aggregates. Uncovering genes and mechanisms that affect aggregation dynamics would greatly help increase our understanding of the disease and lead to potential therapeutics. We developed a quantitative high-throughput Drosophila S2R+ cell-based kinetic assay coupled with fluorescent microscopy to score for genes involved in the modulation of aggregates of the fly orthologue, VAP(P58S), fused with GFP. A targeted RNA interference screen against 900 genes identified 150 hits that modify aggregation, including the ALS loci Sod1 and TDP43 (also known as TBPH), as well as genes belonging to the mTOR pathway. Further, a system to measure the extent of VAP(P58S) aggregation in the Drosophila larval brain was developed in order to validate the hits from the cell-based screen. In the larval brain, we find that reduction of SOD1 levels or decreased mTOR signalling reduces aggregation, presumably by increasing the levels of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). The mechanism of aggregate clearance is, primarily, proteasomal degradation, which appears to be triggered by an increase in ROS. We have thus uncovered an interesting interplay between SOD1, ROS and mTOR signalling that regulates the dynamics of VAP aggregation. Mechanistic processes underlying such cellular regulatory networks will lead to better understanding of the initiation and progression of ALS.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kriti Chaplot
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
| | - Lokesh Pimpale
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
| | | | | | - Siddhesh S Kamat
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
| | - Girish S Ratnaparkhi
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India
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15
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Keisham B, Seksenyan A, Denyer S, Kheirkhah P, Arnone GD, Avalos P, Bhimani AD, Svendsen C, Berry V, Mehta AI. Quantum Capacitance Based Amplified Graphene Phononics for Studying Neurodegenerative Diseases. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:169-175. [PMID: 30468382 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b15893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease (MND) characterized by a rapid loss of upper and lower motor neurons resulting in patient death from respiratory failure within 3-5 years of initial symptom onset. Although at least 30 genes of major effect have been reported, the pathobiology of ALS is not well understood. Compounding this is the lack of a reliable laboratory test which can accurately diagnose this rapidly deteriorating disease. Herein, we report on the phonon vibration energies of graphene as a sensitive measure of the composite dipole moment of the interfaced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that includes a signature-composition specific to the patients with ALS disease. The second-order overtone of in-plane phonon vibration energy (2D peak) of graphene shifts by 3.2 ± 0.5 cm-1 for all ALS patients studied in this work. Further, the amount of n-doping-induced shift in the phonon energy of graphene, interfaced with CSF, is specific to the investigated neurodegenerative disease (ALS, multiple sclerosis, and MND). By removing a severe roadblock in disease detection, this technology can be applied to study diagnostic biomarkers for researchers developing therapeutics and clinicians initiating treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bijentimala Keisham
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago 60607 , Illinois , United States
| | - Akop Seksenyan
- Department of Neurosurgery , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago 60612 , Illinois , United States
- Chicago Medical School , Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science , North Chicago 60064 , Illinois , United States
| | - Steven Denyer
- Department of Neurosurgery , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago 60612 , Illinois , United States
| | - Pouyan Kheirkhah
- Department of Neurosurgery , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago 60612 , Illinois , United States
| | - Gregory D Arnone
- Department of Neurosurgery , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago 60612 , Illinois , United States
| | - Pablo Avalos
- Regenerative Medicine Institute , Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , Los Angeles 90048 , California , United States
| | - Abhiraj D Bhimani
- Department of Neurosurgery , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago 60612 , Illinois , United States
| | - Clive Svendsen
- Regenerative Medicine Institute , Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , Los Angeles 90048 , California , United States
| | - Vikas Berry
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago 60607 , Illinois , United States
| | - Ankit I Mehta
- Department of Neurosurgery , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago 60612 , Illinois , United States
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16
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Shen DC, Xu YY, Hou B, Tai HF, Zhang K, Liu SW, Wang ZL, Feng F, Liu MS, Cui LY. Monitoring Value of Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Disease Progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Prospective Observational Study. Chin Med J (Engl) 2018; 131:2904-2909. [PMID: 30539901 PMCID: PMC6302648 DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.247214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Ongoing efforts have been made to identify new neuroimaging markers to track amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression. This study aimed to explore the monitoring value of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the disease progression of ALS. Methods: From September 2015 to March 2017, ten patients diagnosed with ALS in Peking Union Medical College Hospital completed head MRI scans at baseline and during follow-up. Multimodal MRI analyses, including gray matter (GM) volume measured by voxel-based morphometry; cerebral blood flow (CBF) evaluated by arterial spin labeling; functional connectivity, including low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo), measured by resting-state functional MRI; and integrity of white-matter (WM) fiber tracts evaluated by diffusion tensor imaging, were performed in these patients. Comparisons of imaging metrics were made between baseline and follow-up using paired t-test. Results: In the longitudinal comparisons, the brain structure (GM volume of the right precentral gyri, left postcentral gyri, and right thalami) and perfusion (CBF of the bilateral temporal poles, left precentral gyri, postcentral gyri, and right middle temporal gyri) in both motor and extramotor areas at follow-up were impaired to different extents when compared with those at baseline (all P < 0.05, false discovery rate adjusted). Functional connectivity was increased in the motor areas (fALFF of the right precentral gyri and superior frontal gyri, and ReHo of right precentral gyri) and decreased in the extramotor areas (fALFF of the bilateral middle frontal gyri and ReHo of the right precuneus and cingulate gyri) (all P < 0.001, unadjusted). No significant changes were detected in terms of brain WM measures. Conclusion: Multimodal MRI could be used to monitor short-term brain changes in ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Chao Shen
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yin-Yan Xu
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Bo Hou
- Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Hong-Fei Tai
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Kang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Shuang-Wu Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Zhi-Li Wang
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Feng Feng
- Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Ming-Sheng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Li-Ying Cui
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital; Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
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17
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The C9ORF72 Gene, Implicated in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia, Encodes a Protein That Functions in Control of Endothelin and Glutamate Signaling. Mol Cell Biol 2018; 38:MCB.00155-18. [PMID: 30150298 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00155-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A GGGGCC repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 (C9) gene is the most common known cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for its toxicity, including the possibility that reduced C9 protein levels contribute to disease. To investigate this possibility, we examined the effects of reduced C9 levels in several cell systems. We first showed that C9 knockdown (KD) in U87 glioblastoma cells results in striking morphological changes, including vacuolization and alterations in cell size. Unexpectedly, RNA analysis revealed changes in expression of many genes, including genes involved in endothelin (EDN) signaling and immune system pathways and multiple glutamate cycling genes (e.g., EAAT2), which were verified in several cell models, including astrocytes and brain samples from C9-positive patients. Consistent with deregulation of the glutamate cycling genes, elevated intracellular glutamate was detected in both KD cells and patient astrocytes. Importantly, levels of mRNAs encoding EDN1 and its receptors, known to be elevated in ALS, were sharply increased by C9 KD, likely resulting from an observed activation of NF-κB signaling and/or a possible role of a C9 isoform in gene control.
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18
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Diagnostic and prognostic power of CSF Tau in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2018; 265:2353-2362. [PMID: 30116940 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-9008-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that still lacks reliable diagnostic biomarkers. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of CSF total Tau (t-Tau), phospho-Tau (p-Tau) and p-Tau/t-Tau ratio in ALS patients using CSF neurofilament light (NFL) as the reference biomarker. METHODS Eighty-five incident ALS, 30 ALS-mimicking (AM) diseases and 51 other non-neurodegenerative diseases (ONND) were included in the study. RESULTS ALS patients had higher levels of CSF t-Tau and lower p-Tau/t-Tau ratio than AM (p = 0.005 and p = 0.006) and ONND (p < 0.001). CSF t-Tau levels discriminated ALS from AM with a sensitivity of 69% and specificity of 60%, and from ONND with a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 51%. These values were lower than the accuracy of CSF NFL in ALS (sensitivity 86% and specificity 87% in distinguishing ALS from AM and sensitivity 83% and specificity 75% from ONND); CSF t-Tau correlated with progression rate and SNIP. CSF p-Tau did not show relation with any ALS clinical features. CSF NFL significantly correlated with all considered clinical parameters. High levels of CSF t-Tau and NFL were related to poor survival. CONCLUSION CSF t-Tau showed no reliable diagnostic significance but the relation between the high levels of CSF t-Tau and short survival suggests the potential prognostic role of this biomarker in ALS. However, CSF NFL was confirmed to be the most reliable and efficient tool for diagnosis and prediction of clinical progression and survival in ALS patients.
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19
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Izrael M, Slutsky SG, Admoni T, Cohen L, Granit A, Hasson A, Itskovitz-Eldor J, Krush Paker L, Kuperstein G, Lavon N, Yehezkel Ionescu S, Solmesky LJ, Zaguri R, Zhuravlev A, Volman E, Chebath J, Revel M. Safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes following intrathecal transplantation in SOD1 G93A and NSG animal models. Stem Cell Res Ther 2018; 9:152. [PMID: 29871694 PMCID: PMC5989413 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-018-0890-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron (MN) disease characterized by the loss of MNs in the central nervous system. As MNs die, patients progressively lose their ability to control voluntary movements, become paralyzed and eventually die from respiratory/deglutition failure. Despite the selective MN death in ALS, there is growing evidence that malfunctional astrocytes play a crucial role in disease progression. Thus, transplantation of healthy astrocytes may compensate for the diseased astrocytes. METHODS We developed a good manufacturing practice-grade protocol for generation of astrocytes from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The first stage of our protocol is derivation of astrocyte progenitor cells (APCs) from hESCs. These APCs can be expanded in large quantities and stored frozen as cell banks. Further differentiation of the APCs yields an enriched population of astrocytes with more than 90% GFAP expression (hES-AS). hES-AS were injected intrathecally into hSOD1G93A transgenic mice and rats to evaluate their therapeutic potential. The safety and biodistribution of hES-AS were evaluated in a 9-month study conducted in immunodeficient NSG mice under good laboratory practice conditions. RESULTS In vitro, hES-AS possess the activities of functional healthy astrocytes, including glutamate uptake, promotion of axon outgrowth and protection of MNs from oxidative stress. A secretome analysis shows that these hES-AS also secrete several inhibitors of metalloproteases as well as a variety of neuroprotective factors (e.g. TIMP-1, TIMP-2, OPN, MIF and Midkine). Intrathecal injections of the hES-AS into transgenic hSOD1G93A mice and rats significantly delayed disease onset and improved motor performance compared to sham-injected animals. A safety study in immunodeficient mice showed that intrathecal transplantation of hES-AS is safe. Transplanted hES-AS attached to the meninges along the neuroaxis and survived for the entire duration of the study without formation of tumors or teratomas. Cell-injected mice gained similar body weight to the sham-injected group and did not exhibit clinical signs that could be related to the treatment. No differences from the vehicle control were observed in hematological parameters or blood chemistry. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate the safety and potential therapeutic benefits of intrathecal injection of hES-AS for the treatment of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Izrael
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shalom Guy Slutsky
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Tamar Admoni
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Louisa Cohen
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Avital Granit
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arik Hasson
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Lena Krush Paker
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Graciela Kuperstein
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Neta Lavon
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shiran Yehezkel Ionescu
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Leonardo Javier Solmesky
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Rachel Zaguri
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Alina Zhuravlev
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ella Volman
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Judith Chebath
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michel Revel
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd, Pinchas Sapir 7, Weizmann Science Park, Nes-Ziona, Israel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
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20
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Vejux A, Namsi A, Nury T, Moreau T, Lizard G. Biomarkers of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Current Status and Interest of Oxysterols and Phytosterols. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:12. [PMID: 29445325 PMCID: PMC5797798 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a non-demyelinating neurodegenerative disease in adults with motor disorders. Two forms exist: a sporadic form (90% of cases) and a family form due to mutations in more than 20 genes including the Superoxide dismutase 1, TAR DNA Binding Protein, Fused in Sarcoma, chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 and VAPB genes. The mechanisms associated with this pathology are beginning to be known: oxidative stress, glutamate excitotoxicity, protein aggregation, reticulum endoplasmic stress, neuroinflammation, alteration of RNA metabolism. In various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or multiple sclerosis, the involvement of lipids is increasingly suggested based on lipid metabolism modifications. With regard to ALS, research has also focused on the possible involvement of lipids. Lipid involvement was suggested for clinical arguments where changes in cholesterol and LDL/HDL levels were reported with, however, differences in positivity between studies. Since lipids are involved in the membrane structure and certain signaling pathways, it may be considered to look for oxysterols, mainly 25-hydroxycholesterol and its metabolites involved in immune response, or phytosterols to find suitable biomarkers for this pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Vejux
- Team Biochemistry of the Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism EA 7270, INSERM, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Amira Namsi
- Team Biochemistry of the Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism EA 7270, INSERM, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.,Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie Fonctionnelle et Pathologies, UR11ES/09, Faculté des Sciences Mathématiques, Physiques et Naturelles de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar - Bienvenue, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Thomas Nury
- Team Biochemistry of the Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism EA 7270, INSERM, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Thibault Moreau
- Team Biochemistry of the Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism EA 7270, INSERM, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital/University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Gérard Lizard
- Team Biochemistry of the Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism EA 7270, INSERM, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
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21
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Kaiserova M, Grambalova Z, Otruba P, Stejskal D, Prikrylova Vranova H, Mares J, Mensikova K, Kanovsky P. Cerebrospinal fluid levels of chromogranin A and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain are elevated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neurol Scand 2017; 136:360-364. [PMID: 28185258 DOI: 10.1111/ane.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Various cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are being studied to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic methods for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). AIMS OF THE STUDY The aim of our study was to establish the CSF levels of chromogranin A (CgA) and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNF-H) in patients with ALS in order to assess these proteins as possible biomarkers of ALS. METHODS Cerebrospinal fluid levels of CgA and pNF-H were examined and mutually compared in 15 patients with sporadic ALS and 16 gender- and age-matched controls. RESULTS Lumbar CSF CgA levels were increased in the patients with ALS compared to the controls (median 235 vs 138, P=.031). Lumbar CSF pNF-H levels were significantly increased in the patients with ALS compared to the control group (median 3091 vs 213, P<.0001). CONCLUSIONS Identifying CSF biomarkers in ALS is important in order to establish the diagnosis in the early stages of the disease. pNF-H seems to be a good biomarker for the diagnosis of ALS. If confirmed on a larger group of patients, CgA may also become useful in the diagnosis of sporadic ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Kaiserova
- Department of Neurology; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University and University Hospital; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - Z. Grambalova
- Department of Neurology; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University and University Hospital; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - P. Otruba
- Department of Neurology; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University and University Hospital; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - D. Stejskal
- AGEL Research and Training Institute; Prostejov Czech Republic
- Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University and University Hospital; Olomouc Czech Republic
- Department of Biochemical Sciences; Faculty of Medicine; Ostrava University; Ostrava Czech Republic
| | - H. Prikrylova Vranova
- Department of Neurology; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University and University Hospital; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - J. Mares
- Department of Neurology; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University and University Hospital; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - K. Mensikova
- Department of Neurology; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University and University Hospital; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - P. Kanovsky
- Department of Neurology; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University and University Hospital; Olomouc Czech Republic
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22
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Katyal N, Govindarajan R. Shortcomings in the Current Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Trials and Potential Solutions for Improvement. Front Neurol 2017; 8:521. [PMID: 29033893 PMCID: PMC5626834 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a clinically progressive neurodegenerative syndrome predominantly affecting motor neurons and their associated tracts. Riluzole and edaravone are the only FDA certified drugs for treating ALS. Over the past two decades, almost all clinical trials aiming to develop a successful therapeutic strategy for this disease have failed. Genetic complexity, inadequate animal models, poor clinical trial design, lack of sensitive biomarkers, and diagnostic delays are some of the potential reasons limiting any significant development in ALS clinical trials. In this review, we have outlined the possible reasons for failure of ALS clinical trials, addressed the factors limiting timely diagnosis, and suggested possible solutions for future considerations for each of the shortcomings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakul Katyal
- Neurology, University of Missouri School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Raghav Govindarajan
- Neurology, University of Missouri School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
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23
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Vinceti M, Filippini T, Mandrioli J, Violi F, Bargellini A, Weuve J, Fini N, Grill P, Michalke B. Lead, cadmium and mercury in cerebrospinal fluid and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A case-control study. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2017; 43:121-125. [PMID: 28089071 PMCID: PMC5495626 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2016.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to neurotoxic chemicals such as pesticides, selenium, and heavy metals have been suggested to play a role in the etiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We assessed exposure to lead, cadmium, and mercury in 38 ALS patients (16 men and 22 females) and 38 hospital-admitted controls by using their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) content as biomarker. We determined CSF heavy metal levels with inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry, according to a methodology specifically developed for this biological matrix. ALS patients had higher median values for Pb (155 vs. 132ng/L) but lower levels for Cd (36 vs. 72ng/L) and Hg (196 vs. 217ng/L). In the highest tertile of exposure, ALS odds ratio was 1.39 (95% CI 0.48-4.25) for Pb, 0.29 (0.08-1.04) for Cd and 3.03 (0.52-17.55) for Hg; however, no dose-response relation emerged. Results were substantially confirmed after conducting various sensitivity analyses, and after stratification for age and sex. Though interpretation of these results is limited by the statistical imprecision of the estimates, and by the possibility that CSF heavy metal content may not reflect long-term antecedent exposure, they do not lend support to a role of the heavy metals cadmium, lead and mercury in ALS etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Vinceti
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Modena, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tommaso Filippini
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Modena, Italy
| | - Jessica Mandrioli
- Department of Neurology, Sant'Agostino-Estense Hospital, National Health Service, Local Health Unit of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Federica Violi
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Modena, Italy
| | - Annalisa Bargellini
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Modena, Italy
| | - Jennifer Weuve
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicola Fini
- Department of Neurology, Sant'Agostino-Estense Hospital, National Health Service, Local Health Unit of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Peter Grill
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Michalke
- Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
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24
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Urinary Extracellular Domain of Neurotrophin Receptor p75 as a Biomarker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in a Chinese cohort. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5127. [PMID: 28698670 PMCID: PMC5506052 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05430-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
To comprehensively assess whether p75ECD in urine could be a candidate biomarker for ALS evaluation. Urine samples were collected from 101 ALS patients, 108 patients with other neurological disease (OND) and 97 healthy controls. 61 ALS patients were followed up with clinical data including ALSFRS-r every 6 to 12 months, 23 ALS patients died and 17 ALS patients lost touch during follow up period. Enzyme-linked immunoassay was employed to determine urine p75ECD concentration. The ALSFRS-r was employed to assess the severity of ALS. The concentration of p75ECD in ALS was significantly higher than that of OND and CTRL (p < 0.001). Additionally, urine p75ECD concentrations in ALS-definite grade patients were significantly higher than that in ALS-probable grade and ALS-possible grade patients (p < 0.001). Higher urine p75ECD concentrations were correlated with increased clinical stage (p = 0.0309); urine p75ECD concentrations and ALSFRS-r were negatively correlated (p = 0.022); and urine p75ECD concentration in the fast-progressing ALS group was significantly higher than that in slow-progression (p = 0.0026). Our finding indicates that urine p75ECD concentration provides additional evidence for patients with clinically suspected ALS, and can be employed to evaluate ALS-severity.
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25
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Usarek E, Barańczyk-Kuźma A, Kaźmierczak B, Gajewska B, Kuźma-Kozakiewicz M. Validation of qPCR reference genes in lymphocytes from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174317. [PMID: 28328930 PMCID: PMC5362213 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is the most specific and reliable method for determination of mRNA gene expression. Crucial point for its accurate normalization is the choice of appropriate internal control genes (ICGs). In the present work we determined and compare the expression of eight commonly used ICGs in lymphocytes from 26 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 30 control subjects. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) before and after immortalization by EBV transfection (lymphoblast cell lines—LCLs) were used for qPCR analysis. LCLs were studied before and after liquid nitrogen cryopreservation and culturing (groups LCL1 and LCL2, respectively). qPCR data of 8 ICGs expression was analyzed by BestKeeper, NormFinder and geNorm methods. All studied genes (18SRNA, ACTB, B2M, GUSB,GAPDH, HPRT1, MT-ATP6 and RPS17) were expressed in PBMCs, whereas only first four in LCLs. LCLs cryopreservation had no effect on ICGs expression. Comprehensive ranking indicated RPS17 with MT-ATP6 as the best ICGs for qPCR in PBMCs of control and ALS subjects, and RPS17 with 18RNA or MT-ATP6 in LCLs from ALS. In PBMCs 18RNA shouldn’t be used as ICG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Usarek
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Barańczyk-Kuźma
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Kaźmierczak
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Gajewska
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Kuźma-Kozakiewicz
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- * E-mail:
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26
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Ding X, Ma M, Teng J, Teng RKF, Zhou S, Yin J, Fonkem E, Huang JH, Wu E, Wang X. Exposure to ALS-FTD-CSF generates TDP-43 aggregates in glioblastoma cells through exosomes and TNTs-like structure. Oncotarget 2016; 6:24178-91. [PMID: 26172304 PMCID: PMC4695178 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represent a continuum of devastating neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) aggregates accumulation throughout the nervous system. Despite rapidly emerging evidence suggesting the hypothesis of 'prion-like propagation' of TDP-43 positive inclusion in the regional spread of ALS symptoms, whether and how TDP-43 aggregates spread between cells is not clear. Herein, we established a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-cultured cell model to dissect mechanisms governing TDP-43 aggregates formation and propagation. Remarkably, intracellular TDP-43 mislocalization and aggregates were induced in the human glioma U251 cells following exposure to ALS-FTD-CSF but not ALS-CSF and normal control (NC) -CSF for 21 days. The exosomes derived from ALS-FTD-CSF were enriched in TDP-43 C-terminal fragments (CTFs). Incubation of ALS-FTD-CSF induced the increase of mislocated TDP-43 positive exosomes in U251 cells. We further demonstrated that exposure to ALS-FTD-CSF induced the generations of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs)-like structure and exosomes at different stages, which mediated the propagation of TDP-43 aggregates in the cultured U251 cells. Moreover, immunoblotting analyses revealed that abnormal activations of apoptosis and autophagy were induced in U251 cells, following incubation of ALS-CSF and ALS-FTD-CSF. Taken together, our data provide direct evidence that ALS-FTD-CSF has prion-like transmissible properties. TNTs-like structure and exosomes supply the routes for the transfer of TDP-43 aggregates, and selective inhibition of their over-generations may interrupt the progression of TDP-43 proteinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuebing Ding
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Mingming Ma
- Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Junfang Teng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Robert K F Teng
- College of Engineering, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shuang Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Jingzheng Yin
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Ekokobe Fonkem
- Scott & White Neuroscience Institute, Texas A & M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX, USA
| | - Jason H Huang
- Scott & White Neuroscience Institute, Texas A & M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, TX, USA
| | - Erxi Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Xuejing Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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27
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Yang X, Gao L, Wu X, Zhang Y, Zang D. Increased levels of MIP-1α in CSF and serum of ALS. Acta Neurol Scand 2016; 134:94-100. [PMID: 26427609 DOI: 10.1111/ane.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with complicated pathogenesis. No effective diagnostic test and cure exists for the disease at present. We detected the levels of MIP-1α in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum and then further evaluated whether MIP-1α levels correlate with the severity and progression of ALS. METHODS We used ELISAs to detect MIP-1α levels from 58 patients with ALS and 45 age- and gender-matched controls. The patients with ALS were also clinically evaluated with the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-r). Moreover, we followed up with 40 cases of ALS by way of call or clinic visit 4 years after enrollment in this study. Finally, we assessed the correlations between MIP-1α levels and various clinical parameters. RESULTS We found that the levels of MIP-1α in patients with ALS significantly increased compared to controls and they were positively correlated with duration. MIP-1α showed negative correlations with disease progression rate and the decrease in ALSFRS-r. Furthermore, the cumulative survival of patients with ALS with high levels of MIP-1α exceeded patients with low MIP-1α levels. CONCLUSIONS MIP-1α levels increased in both CSF and serum of patients with ALS, and it may be a potential neuroprotective biomarker in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- X. Yang
- Department of Neurology; Tianjin First Center Hospital of Tianjin Medical University; Tianjin China
| | - L. Gao
- Department of Neurology; Tianjin First Center Hospital of Tianjin Medical University; Tianjin China
| | - X. Wu
- Department of Neurology; Tianjin First Center Hospital; Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Tianjin China
| | - Y. Zhang
- Department of Neurology; Tianjin First Center Hospital; Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Tianjin China
| | - D. Zang
- Department of Neurology; Tianjin First Center Hospital; Tianjin Medical University; Tianjin China
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28
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Kuźma-Kozakiewicz M, Kaźmierczak B, Chudy A, Gajewska B, Barańczyk-Kuźma A. Alteration of Motor Protein Expression Involved in Bidirectional Transport in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. NEURODEGENER DIS 2016; 16:235-44. [PMID: 26954557 DOI: 10.1159/000443664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) is a fatal motor neuron degenerative disease of unclear pathogenesis. Disturbances of intracellular transport are possible causes of the disease. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the expression of motor proteins involved in the anterograde (kinesins KIF1B, KIF5C) and retrograde (KIFC3, dynactin subunits DCTN1 and DCTN3) intracellular transport in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS PBMCs were obtained from 74 SALS patients with different clinical phenotypes, 65 blood donors (healthy control I), and 29 cases with other neurological diseases (disease control II) divided into subgroups IIA (atypical parkinsonism) and IIB (ALS-mimicking disorders). mRNA expression was studied by real-time qPCR, and protein level by Western blotting. RESULTS In SALS, KIF5C and KIFC3 expression was significantly lower and DCTN1 higher than in control I, and dependent of age. KIF1B expression was significantly higher in SALS than in subgroup IIB, whereas DCTN1 and DCTN3 were higher in SALS than in subgroup IIA. All changes in the studied proteins were statistically significant in classic ALS but not in progressive muscular atrophy. CONCLUSION In SALS, and especially in classic ALS, the changes in motor protein expression may alter bidirectional intracellular transport in PBMCs. More studies are needed to find out whether the levels of KIF5C and DCTN1 may be useful in ALS diagnosis, and whether KIF1B expression may discriminate ALS from ALS-mimicking disorders.
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29
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Costa J, de Carvalho M. Emerging molecular biomarker targets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clin Chim Acta 2016; 455:7-14. [PMID: 26774696 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2016.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects upper (UMN) and lower motor (LMN) neurons. It is associated with a short survival and there is no effective treatment, in spite of a large number of clinical trials. Strong efforts have been made to identify novel disease biomarkers to support diagnosis, provide information on prognosis, to measure disease progression in trials and increase our knowledge on disease pathogenesis. Electromyography by testing the function of the LMN can be used as a biomarker of its dysfunction. A number of electrophysiological and neuroimaging methods have been explored to identify a reliable marker of UMN degeneration. Recently, strong evidence from independent groups, large cohorts of patients and multicenter studies indicate that neurofilaments are very promising diagnostic biomarkers, in particular cerebrospinal fluid and blood levels of phosphoneurofilament heavy chain and neurofilament light chain. Furthermore, their increased levels are associated with poor prognosis. Additional studies have been performed aiming to identify other biomarkers, which alone or in combination with neurofilaments could increase the sensitivity and the specificity of the assays. Emerging molecular marker targets are being discovered, but more studies with standardized methods are required in larger cohorts of ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Costa
- Laboratory of Glycobiology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Avenida da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
| | - Mamede de Carvalho
- Institute of Physiology-Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal; Department Neurosciences, Hospital de Santa Maria-CHLN, Lisbon, Portugal
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30
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Caballero-Hernandez D, Toscano MG, Cejudo-Guillen M, Garcia-Martin ML, Lopez S, Franco JM, Quintana FJ, Roodveldt C, Pozo D. The ‘Omics’ of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Trends Mol Med 2016; 22:53-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Hasegawa M, Hara-Miyauchi C, Ohta H, Sakimura K, Okano H, Okano HJ. Analysis of RNA metabolism in peripheral WBCs of TDP-43 KI mice identifies novel biomarkers of ALS. Neurosci Res 2015; 106:12-22. [PMID: 26672899 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Diagnostic biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have yet to be identified. One of the causes of neuronal cell death in neurodegenerative diseases is abnormal RNA metabolism, although the mechanisms by which this occurs are unclear. Detection of abnormal RNA metabolism in white blood cells (WBCs) could lead to a new biomarker of ALS onset. TAR DNA-binding protein 43kDa (TDP-43) is an RNA-binding protein that regulates RNA metabolism. We previously developed a mouse model of ALS that exhibits adult-onset motor dysfunction; these mutant TDP-43 knock in (KI) mice heterozygously express mutant human TDP-43 (A382T or G348C). In the present study, we examined TDP-43 mRNA levels in WBCs of KI mice and found that A382T mutant mRNA is significantly higher than G348C. Our results suggest that each mutant TDP-43 induces distinct RNA metabolism, and that the expression of total TDP-43 alone in WBC is not suitable as an ALS biomarker. To identify additional candidates, we focused on survival and apoptosis-related factors and examined their mRNA metabolism in WBCs. mRNA levels of both Smn1 and Naip5 correlated with TDP-43 levels and also differed between A382T and G348C. Together, TDP-43 and these factors may enable detection of abnormalities in individual ALS pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minami Hasegawa
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1058461, Japan; Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Chikako Hara-Miyauchi
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1058461, Japan; Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ohta
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1058461, Japan; Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1058461, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachidori Niigata Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Hirotaka James Okano
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1058461, Japan; Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
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32
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Minkel HR, Anwer TZ, Arps KM, Brenner M, Olsen ML. Elevated GFAP induces astrocyte dysfunction in caudal brain regions: A potential mechanism for hindbrain involved symptoms in type II Alexander disease. Glia 2015; 63:2285-97. [PMID: 26190408 PMCID: PMC4555878 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alexander Disease (AxD) is a "gliopathy" caused by toxic, dominant gain-of-function mutations in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene. Two distinct types of AxD exist. Type I AxD affected individuals develop cerebral symptoms by 4 years of age and suffer from macrocephaly, seizures, and physical and mental delays. As detection and diagnosis have improved, approximately half of all AxD patients diagnosed have onset >4 years and brainstem/spinal cord involvement. Type II AxD patients experience ataxia, palatal myoclonus, dysphagia, and dysphonia. No study has examined a mechanistic link between the GFAP mutations and caudal symptoms present in type II AxD patients. We demonstrate that two key astrocytic functions, the ability to regulate extracellular glutamate and to take up K(+) via K+ channels, are compromised in hindbrain regions and spinal cord in AxD mice. Spinal cord astrocytes in AxD transgenic mice are depolarized relative to WT littermates, and have a three-fold reduction in Ba(2+) -sensitive Kir4.1 mediated currents and six-fold reduction in glutamate uptake currents. The loss of these two functions is due to significant decreases in Kir4.1 (>70%) and GLT-1 (>60%) protein expression. mRNA expression for KCNJ10 and SLC1A2, the genes that code for Kir4.1 and GLT-1, are significantly reduced by postnatal Day 7. Protein and mRNA reductions for Kir4.1 and GLT-1 are exacerbated in AxD models that demonstrate earlier accumulation of GFAP and increased Rosenthal fiber formation. These findings provide a mechanistic link between the GFAP mutations/overexpression and the symptoms in those affected with Type II AxD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R Minkel
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Tooba Z Anwer
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Kara M Arps
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Michael Brenner
- Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Michelle L Olsen
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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33
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Chen X, Shang HF. New developments and future opportunities in biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Transl Neurodegener 2015; 4:17. [PMID: 26425343 PMCID: PMC4589120 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-015-0040-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern technology has improved the ability to probe effectively the underlying biology of ALS by examination of genomic, proteomic and physiological changes in patients with ALS, as well as to monitor functional and structural changes during the course of disease. While effective treatments for ALS are lacking, the discovery of sensitive biomarkers to disease activity offers clinicians tools for rapid diagnosis and insights into the pathophysiology of ALS. The ultimate aim is to lessen reliance on clinical measures and survival as trial endpoints and broaden the therapeutic options for patients with this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueping Chen
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Hui-Fang Shang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, Sichuan China
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Yacila G, Sari Y. Potential therapeutic drugs and methods for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Curr Med Chem 2015; 21:3583-93. [PMID: 24934355 DOI: 10.2174/0929867321666140601162710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by damage of motoneurons leading to paralysis state and long term disability. Riluzole is currently the only FDA-approved drug for the treatment of ALS. The proposed mechanisms of ALS include glutamate excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, protein aggregation, SOD1 accumulations, and neuronal death. In this review, we discuss potential biomarkers for the identification of patients with ALS. We further emphasize potential therapy involving the uses of neurotrophic factors such as IGFI, GDNF, VEGF, ADNF-9, colivelin and angiogenin in the treatment of ALS. Moreover, we described several existing drugs such as talampanel, ceftriaxone, pramipexole, dexpramipexole and arimoclomol potential compounds for the treatment of ALS. Interestingly, the uses of stem cell therapy and immunotherapy are promising for the treatment of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Y Sari
- University of Toledo, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Campus, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH 43614. USA.
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Wilke C, Deuschle C, Rattay TW, Maetzler W, Synofzik M. Total tau is increased, but phosphorylated tau not decreased, in cerebrospinal fluid in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:1072-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Recent Advances and Applications of Metabolomics to Investigate Neurodegenerative Diseases. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 122:95-132. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2015.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Łukaszewicz-Zając M, Mroczko B, Słowik A. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2014; 121:1387-97. [PMID: 25047909 PMCID: PMC4210652 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-014-1205-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases, responsible for the integrity of the basement membrane (BM) via degradation of extracellular matrix and BM components. These enzymes are presented in central and peripheral nervous system. They are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a motor neuron disease, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis and death within 3–5 years from diagnosis. Currently, there is no treatment that can substantially prolong life of ALS patients. Despite the fact that MMPs are not specific for ALS, there is also strong evidence that these enzymes are involved in the pathology of ALS. MMPs are able to exert direct neurotoxic effects, or may cause cell death by degrading matrix proteins. The objective of this paper is to provide an updated and comprehensive review concerning the role of MMPs and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in the pathology of ALS with an emphasis on the significance of MMP-2 and MMP-9 as well as their tissue inhibitors as potential biomarkers of ALS. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed regarding the role of selected MMPs and TIMPs in ALS pathogenesis. Moreover, selective MMPs’ inhibitors might be potential targets for therapeutic strategies for patients with ALS. However, future investigations are necessary before some of those non-specific for ALS enzymes could finally be used as biomarkers of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Łukaszewicz-Zając
- Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Białystok, Waszyngtona 15 a, 15-269, Białystok, Poland
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Blood biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: myth or reality? BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:525097. [PMID: 24991560 PMCID: PMC4060749 DOI: 10.1155/2014/525097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal condition primarily characterized by the selective loss of upper and lower motor neurons. At present, the diagnosis and monitoring of ALS is based on clinical examination, electrophysiological findings, medical history, and exclusion of confounding disorders. There is therefore an undeniable need for molecular biomarkers that could give reliable information on the onset and progression of ALS in clinical practice and therapeutic trials. From a practical point of view, blood offers a series of advantages, including easy handling and multiple testing at a low cost, that make it an ideal source of biomarkers. In this review, we revisited the findings of many studies that investigated the presence of systemic changes at the molecular and cellular level in patients with ALS. The results of these studies reflect the diversity in the pathological mechanisms contributing to disease (e.g., excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and neurodegeneration, among others) and provide relatively successful evidence of the usefulness of a wide-ranging panel of molecules as potential biomarkers. More studies, hopefully internationally coordinated, would be needed, however, to translate the application of these biomarkers into benefit for patients.
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Sako W, Ishimoto S. Can cystatin C in cerebrospinal fluid be a biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? A lesson from previous studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/ncn3.82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Sako
- Center for Neurosciences; The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research; Manhasset NY USA
| | - Shinji Ishimoto
- Department of Neurology; Wakayama Rosai Hospital; Wakayama Japan
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Shimizu F, Omoto M, Sano Y, Mastui N, Miyashiro A, Tasaki A, Maeda T, Koga M, Kaji R, Kanda T. Sera from patients with multifocal motor neuropathy disrupt the blood-nerve barrier. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2014; 85:526-37. [PMID: 23926278 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2013-305405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), the destruction of the blood-nerve barrier (BNB) has been considered to be the key step in the disease process. The purpose of the present study was to ascertain whether sera from patients with MMN can open the BNB, and which component of patient sera is the most important for this disruption. METHODS We evaluated the effects of sera from patients with MMN, patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and control subjects on the expression of tight junction proteins and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and on the transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) in human peripheral nerve microvascular endothelial cells (PnMECs). RESULTS The sera from patients with MMN decreased the claudin-5 protein expression and the TEER in PnMECs. However, this effect was reversed after application of an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) neutralising antibody. The VEGF secreted by PnMECs was significantly increased after exposure to the sera from patients with MMN. The sera from patients with MMN also increased the VCAM-1 protein expression by upregulating the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signalling. The immunoglobulin G purified from MMN sera decreased the expression of claudin-5 and increased the VCAM-1 expression in PnMECs. CONCLUSIONS The sera from MMN patients may disrupt the BNB function via the autocrine secretion of VEGF in PnMECs, or the exposure to autoantibodies against PnMECs that are contained in the MMN sera. Autoantibodies against PnMECs in MMN sera may activate the BNB by upregulating the VCAM-1 expression, thereby allowing for the entry of a large number of circulating inflammatory cells into the peripheral nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumitaka Shimizu
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, , Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
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Lehnert S, Costa J, de Carvalho M, Kirby J, Kuzma-Kozakiewicz M, Morelli C, Robberecht W, Shaw P, Silani V, Steinacker P, Tumani H, Van Damme P, Ludolph A, Otto M. Multicentre quality control evaluation of different biomarker candidates for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2014; 15:344-50. [PMID: 24575871 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2014.884592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neuron disease that mainly causes degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons, ultimately leading to paralysis and death within three to five years after first symptoms. The pathological mechanisms leading to ALS are still not completely understood. Several biomarker candidates have been proposed in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, none of these has successfully translated into clinical routine. Part of the reason for this failure to translate may relate to differences across laboratories. For this reason, several of the most commonly used ALS biomarker candidates were evaluated on clinically well-defined ALS samples from six European centres in a multicentre sample-collection approach with centralized sample processing. Results showed that phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain differentiated between ALS and control cases in all centres. We therefore propose that measurement of phosphorylated neurofilaments in CSF is the most promising candidate for translation into the clinical setting and might serve as a benchmark for other biomarker candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Lehnert
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
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Paganoni S, Cudkowicz M, Berry JD. Outcome measures in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis clinical trials. CLINICAL INVESTIGATION 2014; 4:605-618. [PMID: 28203356 PMCID: PMC5305182 DOI: 10.4155/cli.14.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with an average survival of 3-5 years. While therapies for ALS remain limited, basic and translational ALS research has been host to numerous influential discoveries in recent years. These discoveries have led to a large pipeline of potential therapies that await testing in clinical trials. Until recently, ALS clinical trials have relied on a limited cadre of 'traditional' outcome measures, including survival and measures of function. These measures have proven useful, although imperfect, in Phase III ALS trials. However, their utility in early-phase ALS trials is limited. For these early trials, outcome measures focused on target engagement or biological pathway analysis might improve trial outcomes and better support the drug development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Paganoni
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI), Massachusetts Genera Hospital, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Merit Cudkowicz
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI), Massachusetts Genera Hospital, MA, USA
| | - James D Berry
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI), Massachusetts Genera Hospital, MA, USA
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Kobeleva X, Petri S. Barriers to novel therapeutics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurodegener Dis Manag 2013. [DOI: 10.2217/nmt.13.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating neurodegenerative condition primarily involving the motor system in the cerebral cortex, brain stem and spinal cord, but can, in later disease stages, also affect distinct extramotor brain regions. In this article, we discuss the prevalent barriers, including clinical and genetic variability of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frailty of the current mouse model and inadequateness of clinical trials, in the search for novel therapeutics. Approaches in terms of understanding the pathogenesis, and the search for biomarkers to initiate early or even presymptomatic treatment and monitor treatment effects are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xenia Kobeleva
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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Cristóvão JS, Leal SS, Cardoso I, Gomes CM. Small molecules present in the cerebrospinal fluid metabolome influence superoxide dismutase 1 aggregation. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:19128-45. [PMID: 24048249 PMCID: PMC3794824 DOI: 10.3390/ijms140919128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) aggregation is one of the pathological markers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. The underlying molecular grounds of SOD1 pathologic aggregation remains obscure as mutations alone are not exclusively the cause for the formation of protein inclusions. Thus, other components in the cell environment likely play a key role in triggering SOD1 toxic aggregation in ALS. Recently, it was found that ALS patients present a specific altered metabolomic profile in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) where SOD1 is also present and potentially interacts with metabolites. Here we have investigated how some of these small molecules affect apoSOD1 structure and aggregation propensity. Our results show that as co-solvents, the tested small molecules do not affect apoSOD1 thermal stability but do influence its tertiary interactions and dynamics, as evidenced by combined biophysical analysis and proteolytic susceptibility. Moreover, these compounds influence apoSOD1 aggregation, decreasing nucleation time and promoting the formation of larger and less soluble aggregates, and in some cases polymeric assemblies apparently composed by spherical species resembling the soluble native protein. We conclude that some components of the ALS metabolome that shape the chemical environment in the CSF may influence apoSOD1 conformers and aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana S. Cristóvão
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, EAN, Oeiras 2784-505, Portugal; E-Mails: (J.S.C.); (S.S.L.)
| | - Sónia S. Leal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, EAN, Oeiras 2784-505, Portugal; E-Mails: (J.S.C.); (S.S.L.)
| | - Isabel Cardoso
- Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, Porto 4150-180, Portugal; E-Mail:
- Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Valente Perfeito, 322, Vila Nova de Gaia 4400-330, Portugal
| | - Cláudio M. Gomes
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, EAN, Oeiras 2784-505, Portugal; E-Mails: (J.S.C.); (S.S.L.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +351-21-446-9332; Fax: +351-21-441-1277
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Vinceti M, Solovyev N, Mandrioli J, Crespi CM, Bonvicini F, Arcolin E, Georgoulopoulou E, Michalke B. Cerebrospinal fluid of newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients exhibits abnormal levels of selenium species including elevated selenite. Neurotoxicology 2013; 38:25-32. [PMID: 23732511 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2013.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Revised: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to selenium, and particularly to its inorganic forms, has been hypothesized as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fast progressing motor neuron disease with poorly understood etiology. However, no information is known about levels of inorganic and some organic selenium species in the central nervous system of ALS patients, and recent observations suggest that peripheral biomarkers of exposure are unable to predict these levels for several Se species including the inorganic forms. Using a hospital-referred case-control series and advanced selenium speciation methods, we compared the chemical species of selenium in cerebrospinal fluid from 38 ALS patients to those of 38 reference neurological patients matched on age and gender. We found that higher concentrations of inorganic selenium in the form of selenite and of human serum albumin-bound selenium were associated with increased ALS risk (relative risks 3.9 (95% confidence interval 1.2-11.0) and 1.7 (1.0-2.9) for 0.1μg/L increase). Conversely, lower concentrations of selenoprotein P-bound selenium were associated with increased risk (relative risk 0.2 for 1μg/L increase, 95% confidence interval 0.04-0.8). The associations were stronger among cases age 50 years or older, who are postulated to have lower rates of genetic disease origin. These results suggest that excess selenite and human serum albumin bound-selenium and low levels of selenoprotein P-bound selenium in the central nervous system, which may be related, may play a role in ALS etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Vinceti
- CREAGEN - Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center, Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
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Görtz P, Siebler M, Ihl R, Henning U, Luckhaus C, Supprian T, Lange-Asschenfeldt C. Multielectrode array analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer’s disease versus mild cognitive impairment: A potential diagnostic and treatment biomarker. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 434:293-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.02.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Hobson-Webb LD. Neuromuscular ultrasound in polyneuropathies and motor neuron disease. Muscle Nerve 2013; 47:790-804. [DOI: 10.1002/mus.23737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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