Daily urinary neopterin excretion as an immunological marker of disease activity in multiple sclerosis

Neopterin Levels in Bonobos Vary Seasonally and Reflect Symptomatic Respiratory Infections

As environmental changes exacerbate the threat coming from infectious diseases in wild mammal species, monitoring their health and gaining a better understanding of the immune functioning at the species level have become critically important. Neopterin is a biomarker of cell-mediated immune responses to intracellular infections. We investigated the variation of urinary neopterin (uNeo) levels of wild, habituated bonobos (Pan paniscus) in relation to individual and environmental factors. We used 309 urine samples collected between 2010 and 2018 at the LuiKotale field site, DRC. Based on current knowledge on zoo-housed conspecifics and closely related species, we predicted uNeo levels to increase (1) during infections, (2) with increasing age, (3) over the gestation period and in estrous females; and (4) to vary seasonally. Our results showed uNeo levels varied over a one-year period and increased in individuals showing respiratory symptoms. Contrary to chimpanzees, uNeo levels did not vary with age or female reproductive status, possibly due to our small sample size. Our study provides a baseline for a better understanding of bonobo's immunocompetence in the context of socio-ecological pressures and for monitoring the health of wild populations.

Infectious agents and different course of multiple sclerosis: a systematic review

Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes demyelination of white matter of central nervous system and neuro-degeneration due to inflammation. Different types of MS, as well as disease progression, come with different pathology and pathophysiology. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible association between different micro-organisms and the relapse or progression of MS. Studies indexed in Medline/PMC, Scopus and Web of Science published without time and language limitation until March 2017 were identified through the search terms "infection" or "infectious" and "multiple sclerosis". A total of 20878 abstracts were identified through the initial search terms. Selection of articles and assessment of their quality was done based on Cochrane library guidelines. Full texts were reviewed for 33 articles out of which 14 articles met the criteria for inclusion. Different micro-organisms are known to play roles in the pathogenesis of MS and its relapse; including Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), Human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Chlamydia pneumoniae and Torque teno virus (TTV). But in this review only HHV-6, C. pneumoniae and TTV have been considered to play a role in disease progression in some studies and not all of them. This review concluded that some micro-organisms such as HHV-6, C. pneumoniae and TTV have been considered as cofactors to make MS a progressive type. It should be considered that these findings do not necessarily rule out the role of other pathogens in MS progression but may represent population differences or different sensitivity of the technique used.

Heritability of plasma neopterin levels in the Old Order Amish

BACKGROUND

We examined the heritability of neopterin, a biomarker for cell-mediated immunity and oxidative stress, and potentially for psychiatric disorders, in the Old Order Amish.

METHODS

Plasma neopterin levels were determined in 2015 Old Order Amish adults. Quantitative genetic procedures were used to estimate heritability of neopterin.

RESULTS

Heritability of log-neopterin was estimated at 0.07 after adjusting for age, gender, and household (p=0.03). The shared household effect was 0.06 (p<0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

We found a low heritability of neopterin and small household effect, suggesting that non-household environmental factors are more important determinants of variance of neopterin levels in the Amish.

Composite Marker of Cognitive Dysfunction and Brain Atrophy is Highly Accurate in Discriminating Between Relapsing-Remitting and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Background

With the advent of numerous new-generation disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS), the discrimination between relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) has become a problem of high importance. The aim of our study was to find a simple way to accurately discriminate between RRMS and SPMS that is applicable in clinical practice as a composite marker, using the linear measures of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the results of cognitive tests.

Material/Methods

We included 88 MS patients in the study: 43 participants had RRMS and 45 had SPMS. A battery consisting of 11 tests was used to evaluate cognitive function. We used 11 linear MRI measures and 7 indexes to assess brain atrophy.

Results

Four cognitive tests and 3 linear MRI measures were able to distinguish RRMS from SPMS with the AUC >0.8 based on ROC analysis. Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to identify the best set of cognitive and MRI markers. The model, using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and Huckman Index, showed the highest predictive ability: AUC=0.921 (p<0.001). We constructed a simple remission-progression index from the same 3 variables, which discriminated well between RRMS and SPMS: AUC=0.920 (p<0.001), maximal Youden Index=0.702, cut-off=1.68, sensitivity=79.1%, and specificity=91.1%.

Conclusions

The composite remission-progression index, using the RAVLT test, DSST test, and MRI Huckman Index, is highly accurate in discriminating between RRMS and SPMS.

NMR-Based Metabolomics Separates the Distinct Stages of Disease in a Chronic Relapsing Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (Cr-EAE) is commonly used to explore the pathogenesis and efficacy of new therapies for MS, but it is unclear whether the metabolome of Cr-EAE is comparable to human multiple sclerosis (MS). For MS, the diagnosis and staging can be achieved by metabolomics on blood using a combination of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Here, we sought to discover whether this approach could be used to differentiate between sequential disease states in Cr-EAE and whether the same metabolites would be discriminatory. Urine and plasma samples were obtained at different time-points from a clinically relevant model of MS. Using PLS-DA modelling for the urine samples furnished some predictive models, but could not discriminate between all disease states. However, PLS-DA modelling of the plasma samples was able to distinguish between animals with clinically silent disease (day 10, 28) and animals with active disease (day 14, 38). We were also able to distinguish Cr-EAE mice from naive mice at all-time points and control mice, treated with complete Freund's adjuvant alone, at day 14 and 38. Key metabolites that underpin these models included fatty acids, glucose and taurine. Two of these metabolites, fatty acids and glucose, were also key metabolites in separating relapsing-remitting MS from secondary-progressive MS in the human study. These results demonstrate the sensitivity of this metabolomics approach for distinguishing between different disease states. Furthermore, some, but not all, of the changes in metabolites were conserved in humans and the mouse model, which could be useful for future drug development.

Thyroid Hormone Potentially Benefits Multiple Sclerosis via Facilitating Remyelination

Myelin destruction due to inflammatory damage of oligodendrocytes (OLs) in conjunction with axonal degeneration is one of the major histopathological hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS), a common autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Therapies over the last 20 years mainly focus on the immune system and, more specifically, on the modulation of immune cell behavior. It seems to be effective in MS with relapse, while it is of little benefit to progressive MS in which neurodegeneration following demyelination outweighs inflammation. Otherwise, remyelination, as a result of oligodendrocyte production from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), is considered to be a potential target for the treatment of progressive MS. In this review, positive effects of remyelination on MS will be discussed in view of the critical role played by thyroid hormone (TH), focusing on the following points: (1) promising treatment of TH on MS that potentially targets to remyelination; (2) the active role of TH that is able to promote remyelination; (3) the regulative role of TH that works on endogenous stem and precursor cells; (4) the effect of TH on gene transcription; and (5) a working hypothesis which is developed that TH can alleviate MS by promoting remyelination, and the mechanism of which is its regulative role in gene transcription of OPCs.

Biomarkers of inflammation and axonal degeneration/damage in patients with newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis: contributions of the soluble CD163 CSF/serum ratio to a biomarker panel

BACKGROUND

Expression of soluble CD163 (sCD163), a macrophage/microglia biomarker, is increased in inflammatory conditions, and sCD163 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have recently been shown to be elevated in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS): the sCD163 CSF/serum ratio was elevated in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS), and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) compared with symptomatic controls.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the contributions of the sCD163 CSF/serum ratio to a biomarker panel focusing on inflammation and axonal degeneration in newly diagnosed MS; thus optimising a diagnostic biomarker panel for MS.

METHODS

After a full MS diagnostic work-up, including collection of paired samples of CSF and serum, 125 patients were included in this study. Patients were divided into groups based on their diagnosis, and patients with normal clinical and paraclinical findings were defined as symptomatic controls. Serum and CSF levels, ratios, and indices of sCD163, CXCL13, osteopontin, neopterin, and CSF levels of neurofilament light polypeptide were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). For sCD163 the results constitute a post-hoc analysis of already published data.

RESULTS

All tested biomarkers, notably the sCD163 ratio, the CXCL13 ratio, the NEO ratio, the CSF level of NfL, the IgG index, and the serum level of OPN, were significantly correlated to RRMS, PPMS, and/or CIS. The individual biomarkers in single tests had a lower performance than the IgG index, however, their combined receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrated excellent diagnostic discriminatory power.

CONCLUSION

The biomarker panel showed distinct profiles for each patient group and could be a valuable tool for clinical differentiation of MS subgroups. The combined ROC analysis showed that sCD163 contributes positively as a diagnostic marker to a panel of established MS biomarkers. Patients with PPMS were demonstrated to have significantly elevated levels of both inflammatory and degenerative markers.

A type 2 biomarker separates relapsing-remitting from secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVE

We tested whether it is possible to differentiate relapsing-remitting (RR) from secondary progressive (SP) disease stages in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of biofluids, which makes no assumptions on the underlying mechanisms of disease.

METHODS

Serum samples were obtained from patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS), SPMS, and RRMS; patients with other neurodegenerative conditions; and age-matched controls. Samples were analyzed by NMR and PLS-DA models were derived to separate disease groups.

RESULTS

The PLS-DA models for serum samples from patients with MS enabled reliable differentiation between RRMS and SPMS. This approach also identified significant differences between the metabolite profiles of each of the MS groups (PP, SP, and RR) and the healthy controls, as well as predicting disease group membership with high specificity and sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS

NMR metabolomics analysis of serum is a sensitive and robust method for differentiating between different stages of MS, yielding diagnostic markers without a priori knowledge of disease pathogenesis. Critically, this study identified and validated a type II biomarker for the RR to SP transition in patients with MS. This approach may be of considerable benefit in categorizing patients for treatment and as an outcome measure in future clinical trials.

CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE

This study provides Class II evidence that serum metabolite profiles accurately distinguish patients with different subtypes and stages of MS.

Cerebrospinal fluid and urinary biomarkers in multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVES

Biomarkers with the potential for longitudinal measurements are needed in multiple sclerosis (MS). Urine is easy to collect, and repeated sampling is possible.

METHODS

39 paired CSF and urine samples were taken. Oligoclonal bands (OCBs) were measured in CSF. Kappa and lambda free light chain (FLC), neopterin and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCHL1) were measured in CSF and urine.

RESULTS

16/39 samples had OCBs unique to the CSF. CSF FLC levels (P < 0.0001) were higher in OCB-positive subjects, with no difference in urinary FLC. CSF and urinary FLC did not correlate. There were a significant correlation between total CSF FLC and CSF neopterin in MS samples (correlation coefficient = 0.588, P = 0.016) and a strong correlation between CSF lambda FLC and CSF neopterin in MS samples (correlation coefficient = 0.875, P < 0.001). There was a strong correlation between urinary neopterin/creatinine levels and urinary total FLC/protein levels (correlation coefficient = 0.452, P = 0.004). Only three CSF samples (8%) had detectable levels of UCHL1. 18/38 (48%) (8/15 MS and 10/23 control) urine samples had detectable levels of UCLH1.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms the relationship between CSF OCBs and CSF FLCs, highlighting the importance of intrathecal B- and plasma-cell activation in MS. There is a relationship between CSF FLC and CSF neopterin in MS, highlighting the multifaceted immune activation seen in MS. Correlations in the OCB-positive group highlight the multifaceted immune activation seen in MS. Further studies are required to evaluate CSF and urinary biomarkers.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and encephalomyelitis disseminata/multiple sclerosis show remarkable levels of similarity in phenomenology and neuroimmune characteristics

BACKGROUND

'Encephalomyelitis disseminata' (multiple sclerosis) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are both classified as diseases of the central nervous system by the World Health Organization. This review aims to compare the phenomenological and neuroimmune characteristics of MS with those of ME/CFS.

DISCUSSION

There are remarkable phenomenological and neuroimmune overlaps between both disorders. Patients with ME/CFS and MS both experience severe levels of disabling fatigue and a worsening of symptoms following exercise and resort to energy conservation strategies in an attempt to meet the energy demands of day-to-day living. Debilitating autonomic symptoms, diminished cardiac responses to exercise, orthostatic intolerance and postural hypotension are experienced by patients with both illnesses. Both disorders show a relapsing-remitting or progressive course, while infections and psychosocial stress play a large part in worsening of fatigue symptoms. Activated immunoinflammatory, oxidative and nitrosative (O+NS) pathways and autoimmunity occur in both illnesses. The consequences of O+NS damage to self-epitopes is evidenced by the almost bewildering and almost identical array of autoantibodies formed against damaged epitopes seen in both illnesses. Mitochondrial dysfunctions, including lowered levels of ATP, decreased phosphocreatine synthesis and impaired oxidative phosphorylation, are heavily involved in the pathophysiology of both MS and ME/CFS. The findings produced by neuroimaging techniques are quite similar in both illnesses and show decreased cerebral blood flow, atrophy, gray matter reduction, white matter hyperintensities, increased cerebral lactate and choline signaling and lowered acetyl-aspartate levels.

SUMMARY

This review shows that there are neuroimmune similarities between MS and ME/CFS. This further substantiates the view that ME/CFS is a neuroimmune illness and that patients with MS are immunologically primed to develop symptoms of ME/CFS.

Adverse events during the titration phase of interferon-beta in remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis are not predicted by body mass index nor by pharmacodynamic biomarkers

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to correlate body mass index or biomarkers with the frequency of common adverse events (AEs) with subcutaneous IFN β-1a during treatment titration in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis previously naïve to IFN β.

METHODS

Eighty-four patients (66.3% females) were followed up during 8 weeks, 25.3% were overweight and 14.5% were obese.

RESULTS

Biomarkers steadily increased during all study period by 45.3% for β2-microglobulin, 262.8% for olygoadenylate synthetase-1, and 92.8% for neopterin. Overall AE reporting did not vary with the dose or treatment duration.

CONCLUSIONS

BMI was not predictive of increased risk for AEs. Biomarkers did not discriminate on the frequency of any AE either.

The Relationship between Tourette's Syndrome and Infections

Increasing evidence shows that infections and an activated immune status might be involved in the pathogene-sis of tic disorders. Studies discuss the influence of neurotrophic bacteria and viruses on different psychiatric disorders. In addition, signs of inflammation and immunological abnormalities have been described especially in schizophrenia and Tourette’s syndrome (tic disorder). Neuroimaging studies revealed increased microglial activation in psychiatric diseases; indicating an inflammatory state of the CNS.

However, it still remains unclear what the underlying mechanism is of how infectious agents could contribute to tic symp-toms. One hypothesis is that not only one particular infectious agent causes directly to the disease; instead different (chronic) infections influence the immune balance and are therefore involved in the pathology. In tic disorders, infections with group A streptococci, Borrelia burgdorferi or Mycoplasma pneumoniae seem to be associated with symptoms of the disease. Studies have shown that immunologic treatment improves and prevents the re-occurrence of clinical symptoms in Tourette’s syndrome. Also post-infectious events by cross-reactive antibodies(against M-protein) and an altered dopamine rgic(noradrenergic) neurotransmission as well as inflammatory/immunological dysregulations were considered as possible mechanisms to cause symptoms. Another contributing factor to the pathogenesis of these diseases could be an activation of the tryptophan catabolism through infectious agents. Tryptophan functions as a precursor for neurotransmitters like se-rotonin and becomes degraded to products that can modulate the neurotransmitter balance.

A deeper insight into the precise mechanism of how infectious agents influence immune parameter, tryptophan metabo-lism and the resulting neurotransmitter availability could help finding new therapeutic strategies.

Urine: An under-studied source of biomarkers in multiple sclerosis?

There remains a need for sensitive and reliable biomarkers that can be used longitudinally in multiple sclerosis. Whilst both CSF and MRI have been extensively studied, they remain invasive and expensive methods of investigation. On the contrary, urine provides a valuable fluid which is readily available for serial sampling. Some work has been done on urinary biomarkers in multiple sclerosis; however, urinary biomarkers have not been extensively studied and validated for use in routine clinical practice, and urine remains understudied and underutilised. In this review the use of neopterin, urinary free light chains, nitric oxide metabolites and urinary myelin basic protein-like protein as potential biomarkers that have been identified in urine are discussed, and avenues for future study are raised.

Recommendations for clinical use of data on neutralising antibodies to interferon-beta therapy in multiple sclerosis

The identification of factors that can affect the efficacy of immunomodulatory drugs in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) is important. For the available interferon-beta products, neutralising antibodies (NAb) have been shown to affect treatment efficacy. In June, 2009, a panel of experts in MS and NAbs to interferon-beta therapy convened in Amsterdam, Netherlands, under the auspices of the Neutralizing Antibodies on Interferon beta in Multiple Sclerosis consortium, a European-based project of the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission, to review and discuss data on NAbs and their practical consequences for the treatment of patients with MS on interferon beta. The panel believed that information about NAbs and other markers of biological activity of interferons (ie, myxovirus resistance protein A [MxA]) can be integrated with clinical and imaging indicators to guide individual treatment decisions. In cases of sustained high-titre NAb positivity and/or lack of MxA bioactivity, a switch to a non-interferon-beta therapy should be considered. In patients who are doing poorly clinically, therapy should be switched irrespective of NAb or MxA bioactivity.

Urinary neopterin and nitric oxide metabolites as markers of interferon β-1a activity in primary progressive multiple sclerosis

Background: Interferon beta has not been demonstrated to be effective in exploratory phase 2 clinical trials in primary progressive multiple sclerosis. However, using more sensitive indicators of a treatment response, such as biomarkers, might help to identify sub-groups of patients who may benefit from therapy.

Objective: To assess the utility of measuring urinary neopterin and nitric oxide metabolite excretion for monitoring interferon β-1a (IFNβ-1a) treatment in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Methods: Fifty patients from a phase II trial of IFNβ-1a (Placebo n = 20; Avonex® 1 × 30 μg/week (IFN-30), n = 15; Avonex® 1 × 60 μg/week (IFN-60), n = 15), were enrolled. Patients were assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale. Urine samples were collected on each visit, 3 months apart, for a period of 24 months. Nitric oxide metabolites, nitrite/nitrate (NOx), were measured by colorimetric assay and neopterin and creatinine (Cr) were assayed using a high-performance liquid chromatography technique. NOx/creatinine ratio (NOxCR) and urinary neopterin/creatinine ratio (UNCR) quotients were calculated.

Results: There was no significant difference between pre-dose, baseline levels of UNCR or NOxCR between the study groups. On the intention-to-treat analysis, there was a significant difference in UNCR levels between the placebo compared with IFN-30 ( p = 0.03) or IFN-60 ( p = 0.002) groups. The IFN-30 and IFN-60 groups did not differ. Within IFNβ-1a-treated patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, median UNCR values were significantly higher in clinically stable (no Expanded Disability Status Scale change) compared with progressive patients ( p = 0.002). IFNβ-1a treatment did not significantly influence NOx excretion in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Conclusions: Urinary neopterin is a potential biomarker to monitor the in vivo effects of IFNβ-1a in primary progressive multiple sclerosis and other multiple sclerosis sub-types.

Soluble CD30: a biomarker for evaluating the clinical risk versus benefit of IFNbeta1A treatment in multiple sclerosis patients

Aberrant redox regulation occurs in immune and neurological pathologies, hence targeting the pathways involved in the regulation of the redox system could provide further insights into these diseases and open up new avenues for therapy. Soluble (s) CD30 is of key clinical importance in this respect, as its levels reflect the functionality of the CD30 receptor (CD30R), the specific lymphocyte receptor for thiol disulfide/oxidoreductase thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) which is known to regulate important immune and neurological processes. Increased levels of sCD30 appear to be a common element of oxidative stress, immunological alterations and neurological deficit, therefore these increases could be used as a clinical biomarker and target for therapy. We targeted sCD30 in our study of dendritic cell (DC) regulation of the T helper (Th) cell network in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, as abnormalities in T regulatory (Treg)/Th1/Th17 pathways contribute to the pathogenesis of this immunological/neurological disease. DC profiles in Treg/Th1/Th2/Th17-types of cytokine production in culture supernatants were used as they determine the type of Th differentiation. Our results show that sCD30 levels increase significantly in MS patients, reflecting the disruption in the regulation of the Treg/Th1/Th17 cell network. A fall in the level of soluble CD30, induced by IFNbeta1a therapy, opposed the increase of neurological deficit through increasing IL10 and TGFbeta levels, thus re-establishing network homeostasis but only when this was accompanied by an increase in IL12p70 levels. Since IL12p70 cytokine production is regulated by Trx1, our results indicate that redox system alterations may be the cause of IFNbeta1a therapeutic inefficacy. We conclude that an increase in the level of IL10, TGFbeta and IL12p70 and a fall in the level of sCD30 represent a means of evaluating the clinical risk/benefit of IFNbeta1a treatment.

Neutralizing antibodies to interferon-beta and other immunological treatments for multiple sclerosis: prevalence and impact on outcomes

Biopharmaceuticals can induce antibodies, which interact with and neutralize the therapeutic effect of such drugs and are therefore termed neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). In the treatment of multiple sclerosis, NAbs against interferon (IFN)-beta and natalizumab have been recognized. The prevalence of NAbs against different IFNbeta preparations varies widely, mainly depending on the product but also on other factors such as amino acid sequence variations, glycosylation, formulation, route and frequency of application, dose, duration of treatment and patient characteristics (human leukocyte antigen [HLA] status). IFNbeta-1a given intramuscularly induces significantly less NAbs than any other IFNbeta formulation. The longitudinal development of NAbs also differs between IFNbeta preparations, with higher reversion rates in IFNbeta-1b-treated compared with IFNbeta-1a-treated patients. The negative effect of NAbs on various outcome measures is very consistent across many studies, specifically when observation periods are longer than 2 years. NAbs against natalizumab occur less frequently (6%) and, like NAbs against IFNbeta, they are associated with a loss of clinical and radiological efficacy of the drug.

Urinary neopterin is a valuable tool in monitoring Crohn's disease activity

BACKGROUND

The aim was to investigate the relation between urinary neopterin and the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and to compare its ability to discriminate active versus inactive CD with serum C-reactive protein (CRP).

METHODS

In all, 217 urinary samples for neopterin measurement were obtained in a cohort of 93 consecutive patients with CD and 66 samples in 33 healthy volunteers. Clinical parameters were recorded and blood samples for CRP were collected as well.

RESULTS

Whereas patients with inactive CD showed similar levels of urinary neopterin excretion than healthy volunteers (163 +/- 8 versus 142 +/- 7 nmol/mol of creatinine, respectively; P = 0.1), urinary neopterin excretion from mild to severe active CD was significantly higher (302 +/- 15 nmol/mol of creatinine; P < 0.001). Serum CRP levels were higher in active CD (14.8 +/- 2.1 mg/L) compared with inactive CD (5.6 +/- 0.8 mg/L; P < 0.001). Urinary neopterin excretion, and to a lesser degree CRP, were positively and significantly correlated with CDAI (r = 0.64 and 0.43, respectively, P < 0.001). Based on the cutoff of 183 nmol/mol of creatinine for urinary neopterin, the sensitivity and specificity of urinary neopterin to discriminate between active and inactive CD were 73% and 82%, respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 80% and 78%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Urinary neopterin excretion is an objective, valuable, simple, and noninvasive biomarker to detect and follow fluctuations of CD activity. Further work is warranted to study its clinical value and relation to mucosal healing.

Peritoneal inflammation and fatigue experiences following colorectal surgery: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE

The effect of post-surgical inflammation, as indicated by peritoneal cytokines and neopterin, was assessed on the duration and characteristics of post-surgical fatigue (PSF) experiences.

BACKGROUND

During the weeks following major colorectal surgery, many patients report experiencing substantial fatigue but the physiological factors contributing to this are not well understood. Because cytokines, particularly pro-inflammatory cytokines, have been found to be important in fatigue-related experiences in experimental systems, they may well be important mediators of PSF.

METHODS

In 27 patients following colorectal surgery, cytokines and neopterin (a relatively stable immune activation marker) were measured in 24-h peritoneal drain fluid and in serum 2, 5 and 14 days post-operatively. Patient fatigue was assessed using the Identity-Consequence Fatigue Scale questionnaire pre-operatively and 2, 5, 14, 30 and 60 days after surgery.

RESULTS

Using linear mixed model analysis controlling for age, gender and ASA score, the trajectory of fatigue experience during the first 2 months of surgical recovery was significantly related to intra-peritoneal concentrations of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha during the first 24h after surgery, while the trajectory of fatigue impacts was related only to IL-6 and TNF-alpha concentrations. Moreover, correlations between neopterin, and post-operative peritoneal (within 24h of surgery) and serum cytokine concentrations permitted neopterin to be used as a surrogate inflammation marker. Patients with elevated neopterin concentrations during the initial weeks following surgery reported significantly more severe and sustained PSF.

CONCLUSIONS

Locally occurring inflammatory responses may influence reports of fatigue following major surgery in a sustained manner, and, as a consequence, reducing inflammation may be effective in reducing PSF.

A cytokine immunosensor for multiple sclerosis detection based upon label-free electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

A biosensor for the serum cytokine, interleukin-12 (IL-12), based upon a label-free electrochemical impedance spectroscopy monitoring is described. Overexpression of IL-12 has been correlated to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The prototype biosensor was fabricated on a disposable gold-coated silver ribbon electrode by immobilizing anti-IL-12 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) onto the surface of the electrode. This technique was advantageous as the silver electrodes provided a more rigid and conductive substrate than thin gold foil electrodes and helped in obtaining more reproducible data when used with the electrode holder. Results indicate that IL-12 can be detected at physiological levels, <100 fM with p<0.05 in a label-free and real-time manner. The cost-effective approach described here can be used for diagnosis of diseases (like MS) with known biomarkers in body fluids and for monitoring physiological levels of biomolecules with healthcare, food, and environmental relevance.

Increased urinary excretion of nitric oxide metabolites in longitudinally monitored migraine patients

This study evaluated a relationship between nitric oxide (NO) and migraine attacks in order to gain insight into migraine pathomechanism. The study groups consisted of 12 migraineurs and eight controls. All subjects collected morning urine samples for 40 consecutive days. Urinary NO metabolites, nitrite/nitrate (NO(x)) levels were measured with the vanadium-based assay, whilst creatinine (Cr) and neopterin were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography. The mean urinary NO(x)/Cr ratio and number of NO(x) peaks was significantly greater in the migraine group compared with controls (P = 0.01 and P = 0.007, respectively). In the second approach, high NO(x) values were re-assessed in relation to raised neopterin, a marker of systemic infection or inflammation, and were excluded. The excretion of NO(x) persisted being pulsatile, and migraineurs had more peaks compared with controls (P = 0.01). In seven patients, NO(x) peaks coincided with headache days. This was more frequent than expected by random association in four patients (Monte-Carlo simulation; odds ratios: 2.16-7.77; no overlap of 95% CI). In four patients, NO(x) peaks preceded or followed headache days. Although there is a difference in the pattern of urinary NO(x) excretion between control and migraine populations, the variable temporal association of NO(x) peaks and headaches suggests a complex role of NO in this condition.

Quantification of Immunoglobulin Free Light Chains in CerebroSpinal Fluid by Nephelometry

Oligoclonal free light chains (FLC) banding has been described in multiple sclerosis (MS) and should be correlated with disease activity. However, discrepancies between studies have been reported because of differences in methods. A new quantitative, rapid, and automated method using nephelometry is now available. Our objective was to investigate the interest of this method for the diagnosis and prognosis of MS. For this purpose, FLC index was determined in paired samples of CSF and serum from consecutive and unselected patients from the same department of neurology. We enrolled 89 patients (33 MS, 15 "possible MS", and 41 controls) and correlated with IgG index, IgG oligoclonal banding, and clinical MS progression criteria. The main results were (1) FLC kappa index was more sensitive but less specific than IgG index for the diagnosis of MS, (2) two MS patients were negative for oligoclonal banding but exhibited a positive kappa index, (3) no relation between FLC kappa indices, MS clinical criteria, and disease progression was found. In conclusion, FLC kappa index should be considered as a useful complementary test for MS diagnosis. Its pronostic interest remains to be determined on a larger cohort of possible MS patients.

Prospective longitudinal study of children with tic disorders and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder: relationship of symptom exacerbations to newly acquired streptococcal infections

BACKGROUND

It has been proposed that infection by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) can trigger acute symptom exacerbations among patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), via autoimmune mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the temporal relationship between newly acquired GABHS infections (and other immunologic indices) and acute exacerbations of tics and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

METHODS

Pediatric patients (7-17 years of age) with TS and/or OCD (N = 47) and healthy control subjects (N = 19) were prospectively monitored for newly acquired GABHS infections, nonspecific markers of acute inflammatory responses, and D8/17-reactive cells (a marker of rheumatic fever). Objective monthly ratings of tic and obsessive-compulsive symptom severity were used to determine the timing of symptom exacerbations.

RESULTS

The overall rate of acute exacerbations of neuropsychiatric symptoms was 0.56 exacerbations per patient per year. The average rate of new GABHS infections, using a stringent definition, was 0.42 infections per subject per year among patients, compared with 0.28 infections per subject per year for control subjects. The association between symptom exacerbations and new GABHS infections among patients was no greater than that expected on the basis of chance. At baseline, patients demonstrated significantly higher levels of D8/17-reactive cells and neopterin, compared with control subjects, but there was no consistent pattern of change when exacerbation time points were compared with baseline or follow-up time points.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest no clear relationship between new GABHS infections and symptom exacerbations in an unselected group of patients with TS and/or OCD.

Biomarkers and surrogate outcomes in neurodegenerative disease: lessons from multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the CNS that most commonly affects young adults. It is usually characterized in the early years by acute relapses followed by partial or complete remission; in later years progressive and irreversible disability develops. Because of the protracted and unpredictable clinical course, biological surrogate markers are much needed to make clinical trials of potential disease-modifying treatments more efficient. Magnetic resonance (MR) outcome measures are now widely used to monitor treatment outcome in MS trials. Areas of multifocal inflammation are detected with a high sensitivity as new areas of gadolinium enhancement and T2 abnormality, and these may be considered as surrogate markers for clinical relapses. However, progressive disability is not clearly related to inflammatory lesions but rather to a progressive and diffuse process with increasing neuroaxonal loss. MR surrogate measures for neuroaxonal loss include atrophy (tissue loss in brain and spinal cord), N-acetyl aspartate, and T1 hypointense lesions. Diffuse abnormality in normal appearing brain tissue may also be monitored using magnetization transfer ratio and other quantitative MR measures. For treatment trials of new agents aimed at preventing disability, measures of neuroaxonal damage should be acquired, especially atrophy, which occurs at all stages of MS and which can be quantified in a sensitive and reproducible manner. Because the MR surrogates for neuroaxonal loss are not yet validated as predicting future disability, definitive trials should continue to monitor an appropriate disability endpoint.

1H-NMR spectroscopy combined with pattern recognition analysis reveals characteristic chemical patterns in urines of MS patients and non-human primates with MS-like disease

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy in combination with pattern recognition techniques were used to investigate the composition of organic compounds in urines from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), patients with other neurological diseases (OND) and healthy controls (H). Using a valid animal model of MS, namely the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the relation of disease progression and alteration of the urine composition was investigated. Urine samples were collected during different stages of EAE, either induced with whole human myelin or with the myelin protein MOG in complete adjuvant. The urine samples were analysed with 1H-NMR spectroscopy allowing simultaneous detection of an array of compounds. Spectral differences between urines from EAE-affected and healthy monkeys were assessed with multivariate analysis. Evidence is provided that development of EAE is associated with changes in the chemical composition of the urine, in particular of compounds with NMR peaks in the region of the spectrum between 0.5 and 3.50 ppm. In addition, we found preliminary evidence for differences between urines from MS, OND and H groups.

Serum and urine nitrate and nitrite are not reliable indicators of intrathecal nitric oxide production in acute brain injury

This study examined the correlation between nitric oxide (NO) metabolites in the three major body fluid compartments and assessed performance of newly described vanadium-based assay for simultaneous detection of nitrite and nitrate (NO(x)) in human samples. Vanadium reduces nitrate to nitrite, which can be measured after a colorimetric reaction with Griess reagents. Cisternal cerebro spinal fluid (CSF), serum and urine samples from 10 patients with acute brain injury (ABI) were compared to control subjects. Significantly higher CSF NO(x) levels were found in brain injury patients compared to control patients (19.7+/-13.7 vs. 6.5+/-2.3 microM; p=0.01), which persisted for 10-day period of observation. The serum and urine levels of NO(x) on admission were not statistically different (42.8+/-28.2 microM; 584.1+/-337.8 micromol/g Cr, respectively) from controls (36.8+/-14.8 microM; 819.7+/-356.0 micromol/g Cr), but tended to decrease during the disease course reaching the lowest level on day 6 (serum: 19.3+/-8.4 microM, urine: 300.4+/-111.9 micromol/g Cr). CSF levels of NO(x) correlated moderately with those in serum (p=0.001, R=0.5). Serum NO(x) concentrations correlated weakly with urine levels (p=0.04, R=0.3). There was no significant correlation between CSF NO(x) and urine NO(x) levels. In conclusion, patients suffering brain injury had increased NO(x) concentrations in CSF, which remained independent from other body fluid compartments. Serum and urinary NO(x) levels cannot be used as a reliable index to assess intrathecal NO production.

Fatigue and proinflammatory cytokine activity in breast cancer survivors

OBJECTIVE

Fatigue is a common problem among cancer patients and survivors, yet the mechanisms underlying the occurrence and persistence of this symptom are not known. Activation of the immune system may evoke feelings of fatigue, which are mediated by proinflammatory cytokines. We examined whether fatigued breast cancer survivors would show elevations in proinflammatory cytokines and markers of cytokine activity compared with nonfatigued survivors. Differences in lymphocyte subsets, cortisol, and behavioral symptoms associated with proinflammatory cytokines were also assessed.

METHODS

Forty breast cancer survivors (20 fatigued, 20 nonfatigued) provided blood samples at visits scheduled to control for diurnal variability. Cytokines, soluble markers of cytokine activity, and cortisol were measured by immunoassay and lymphocyte subsets by flow cytometry. Participants also completed questionnaires measuring demographic, medical, and behavioral variables.

RESULTS

Fatigued breast cancer survivors had significantly higher serum levels of several markers associated with proinflammatory cytokine activity than nonfatigued survivors, including interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (sTNF-RII), and neopterin. They were also more likely to report behavioral problems that co-occur with fatigue in the context of immune activation. Fatigued survivors had significantly lower serum levels of cortisol than the nonfatigued group as well as differences in two lymphocyte populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigued breast cancer survivors showed elevations in serum markers associated with proinflammatory cytokine activity an average of 5 years after diagnosis. Results suggest mechanisms through which enduring immune activation may occur, including alterations in cortisol and in lymphocyte subsets.

Glial toxicity in urine and multiple sclerosis

The biochemical and biological characterization of a cytotoxic activity targeting macroglial cells (oligodendrocytes and astrocytes), in moncyte cultures and in CSF of a patient with multiple sclerosis, has previously been described. In further studies, cell-based tests have shown a good correlation between this glial cytotoxic (gliotoxic) activity, in CSF or in urine, and MS. We now present results obtained with urine samples from 102 MS patients, 51 patients with other neurological disease and 35 healthy subjects using a bioassay set up for the detection of an apoptosis-like effect induced in a glial cell-line. Significant gliotoxicity was detected in urine from 74/102 MS patients while only 4/51 neurological controls (P>0.001) and never in healthy subjects (P>0.001). Given the statistical tendency provided by this bioassay and its technical limitations for routine testing, it is now used for monitoring the molecular characterization of this 'gliotoxic factor'. Its replacement by a specific immunoassay could provide more accurate routine techniques for the detection of this biological marker in MS.

Urinary neopterin in idiopathic retinal vasculitis

AIMS

To determine whether urinary neopterin:creatinine (UNC) ratios relate to disease activity in idiopathic retinal vasculitis (RV).

METHODS

18 patients with RV were prospectively recruited into a year long longitudinal study. Patients collected first morning urine samples on a weekly basis and on the same day completed a diary which documented their subjective view of RV activity and any concurrent infection. They were examined in clinic on a 6-8 weekly basis and an objective assessment was made of RV disease activity. 14 healthy controls collected urine samples in the same way.

RESULTS

UNC ratios were significantly higher in patients than in controls (p=0.004, Mann-Whitney U test). UNC ratios were significantly higher when, according to their diaries, the patients had a subjective flare up of RV (p=0.001, Mann-Whitney U test). Subjective increased RV activity occurred more often when the patients had a concurrent infection (p<0.0001, chi(2) test). There was no significant difference in the UNC ratio between objective clinical relapse and non-relapse of RV. There was moderate agreement between the clinical assessment and patients' subjective impression of RV activity (kappa=0.48).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher neopterin levels reflect cell mediated disease that occurs in RV, but UNC ratios are not recommended as a means of monitoring clinical disease activity in RV.

Elevated plasma neopterin levels in Alzheimer disease

We assessed plasma neopterin level as a marker of inflammation in Alzheimer disease (AD). Plasma neopterin levels were higher in 51 patients with AD (9.3 +/- 5.9 ng/mL) than in 38 age-matched control subjects (6.3 +/- 2.6 ng/ml, p = 0.002). There was no correlation between neopterin levels and Mini-Mental State Examination score or duration of disease; there was a weak association between neopterin level and age (r = 0.26, p = 0.02). Although measurement of plasma neopterin levels is not useful for diagnosis, this assay may provide guidance for the development of anti-inflammatory treatment strategies for AD.

Association between clinical disease activity and Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in MS

OBJECTIVE

To assess the potential significance of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation in disease activity in MS patients.

METHODS

The prevalence of antibodies against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, EBV, and cytomegalovirus was determined in a group of 108 MS patients and in 163 healthy control subjects. Sera were analyzed using combinations of novel assay systems employing highly purified viral and recombinant antigens. In addition, PCR for the detection of EBV DNA was performed in serial samples.

RESULTS

In contrast to the control populations, antibodies against EBV were present in 100% of MS patients. Among the tested human herpesviruses, this high extent of seropositivity was only found for EBV. Primary infection was found exclusively in the control group (3.7%), whereas serologic evidence of EBV reactivation was seen in MS patients (13. 9%) as well as control subjects (17.2%). There was no temporal coincidence between EBV reactivation and disease activity in MS patients. However, in 19 patients followed monthly for 1 year, active viral replication as measured by increased immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgA responses to EBV early antigens (p54 + p138) and positive serum DNA was seen in 72.7% of patients with exacerbations during the study period and in none of the patients with clinically stable disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate an association between EBV reactivation and disease activity in MS patients over time, and suggest that EBV might play an indirect role in MS as an activator of the underlying disease process.

Need for an external proficiency testing program for cytokines, chemokines, and plasma markers of immune activation

An external evaluation program for measuring the performance of laboratories testing for cytokines and immune activation markers in biological fluids was developed. Cytokines, chemokines, soluble cytokine receptors, and other soluble markers of immune activation (CSM) were measured in plasma from a healthy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seronegative reference population and from HIV-seropositive individuals as well as in supernatant fluids from in vitro-stimulated human immune cells. The 14 components measured were tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, gamma interferon, interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, Rantes, MIP-Ia, MIP-Ibeta, soluble TNF receptor II, soluble IL-2 receptor alpha, beta(2)-microglobulin, and neopterin. Twelve laboratories associated with the Adult and Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trial Groups participated in the study. The performance features that were evaluated included intralaboratory variability, interlaboratory variability, comparison of reagent sources, and ability to detect CSM in the plasma of normal subjects as well as the changes occurring in disease. The principal findings were as follows: (i) on initial testing, i.e., before participating in the program, laboratories frequently differed markedly in their analytic results; (ii) the quality of testing of a CSM in individual participating laboratories could be assessed; (iii) most commercial kits allowed distinction between normal and abnormal plasma CSM levels and between supernatants of stimulated and unstimulated cells; (iv) different sources of reagents and reference standards frequently provided different absolute values; (v) inexperienced laboratories can benefit from participating in the program; (vi) laboratory performance improved during active participation in the program; and (vii) comparability between analyses conducted at different sites can be ensured by an external proficiency testing program.

Increased urinary nitric oxide metabolites in patients with multiple sclerosis correlates with early and relapsing disease

Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in the immunopathogenesis of MS as a potential mediator of neuronal loss. To investigate the role of.NO in the development of progressive disease we measured the NO metabolites (nitrate and nitrite) and neopterin, in the urine of 129 patients with demyelinating disease (DD): 23 with clinically isolated syndromes compatible with demyelination and in 46 relapsing remitting (RR) and 60 patients with progressive MS. Eighty-nine of these 129 patients underwent Gd-enhanced MRI. In addition 58 normal control subjects (NC), 19 AIDS and 35 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were studied. Patients with DD, AIDS and RA had significantly elevated urinary nitrate plus nitrite (nit : creat. urine) and neopterin (neopt : creat.urine) to creatinine ratios compared to NC subjects. (Median[25th - 75th%] nit : creat.urine: NC=1183[962 - 1365] vs DD=1245[875 - 2403], AIDS=1686[1231 - 2531], and RA=1950[1214 - 2726] mumol/mol, P<0.001 and median[25th - 75th%] neopt : creat.urine: NC=99[76 - 151] vs DD=163[119 - 266], AIDS=972[653 - 1456], and RA=389[257 - 623] mu mol/mol, P<0.001). Patients with early DD and RR MS had significantly elevated nit : creat.urine compared to patients with progressive MS (nit : creat. urine: 1612[1020 - 2733] vs 1159[790 - 1641] mu mol/mol, P=0.006). The nit : creat.urine and neopt : creat.urine did not correlate with clinical relapse or MRI activity. Excretion of.NO metabolites is increased in patients with early or relapsing-remitting disease.NO appears to be a double-edged sword, mediating tissue damage and modulating complex immunological functions which may be protective in MS.

Biological markers in body fluids for activity and progression in multiple sclerosis

Reliable biological markers in body fluids for disease activity and progression are important for our understanding of the pathophysiology and therapeutic decisions in various subtypes of multiple sclerosis. Sampling from body fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and urine constitutes the problem that the local immuno-inflammatory process takes place in the central nervous system whereas the disease activity is only to some extent reflected in the systemic immune compartment. Promising results have been obtained in studies of adhesion molecules, pro-inflammatory cytokines, co-stimulatory molecules and neopterin as markers of disease activity in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. However, these results apply to groups of patients but not necessarily to individual patients. Currently no single body fluid marker is sufficiently correlated to disease activity to be used in the individual patient in monitoring disease activity, progression, or therapeutic effects.

Neopterin: a review

Neopterin was discovered in bee larvae, in worker bees and in royal jelly. The compound was termed "neopterin" to denote that it might start a new (Greek, neo) epoch in pteridine research. Increased concentrations of neopterin were reported in patients with viral infections, suggesting that increased neopterin may originate from the immune response of patients to the infections. In vitro studies revealed that human monocytes/macrophages produce neopterin when stimulated by interferon-gamma. Neopterin can easily be detected in serum and urine. The most important clinical applications for the determination of neopterin are prognostic indicator of malignant diseases, follow-up control of chronic infections, monitoring of immune-stimulatory therapy, differential diagnosis of acute viral and bacterial infections, prognostic indicator in HIV infections and early indications of complications in allograft recipients. In recent years new physiological functions of neopterin have been discovered such as inducing or enhancing cytotoxicity, inducing apoptosis and the role of a chain breaking antioxidant. This review will focus on the immunological and physiological properties of neopterin.

Protective effects of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroneopterin against X-ray radiation injury in mice

The protective effects of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroneopterin (NH4) against radiation injury in mice were studied. (C57BL/6xA/J)F1 (B6A) mice received a single whole-body irradiation dose of 200, 400, 700 or 800 cGy of X-rays. NH4 (30 mg/kg body weight) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was injected intraperitoneally into irradiated mice 10 min before and after the irradiation and again after 6 h. All mice which received the 800 cGy radiation+PBS died between 8 and 11 days after the treatment. In contrast, those which also received NH4 demonstrated a significantly prolonged survival time and 40% lived more than 5 months. Total numbers of thymocytes and spleen cells on day 5 post-irradiation were dramatically reduced in line with the radiation dose. The survival was significantly enhanced by NH4 in treated mice. The proliferation of spleen cells in mice stimulated by concanavalin A (Con A) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was also greater in NH4 treated mice. The immune response of survivors 5 months after 800 cGy+NH4 treatments, against Con A, LPS, allogenic mouse, and sheep red blood cells had essentially recovered to the levels of normal mice. These results indicate that NH4 had an important role in modifying radiation injury.

Immune markers for monitoring the progression of autoimmune disease

The incidence of immune-mediated diseases is increasing worldwide. Reliable immune markers for monitoring disease progression and also the effect of therapeutic interventions are urgently needed in order to investigate preventive or therapeutic measures effectively. At a recent workshop held on 5 December 1998 in Copenhagen, the state of research on surrogate markers in Type 1 diabetes was discussed and compared with the experience in multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease and transplantation.

Emergence of artistic talent in frontotemporal dementia

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical, neuropsychological, and imaging features of five patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) who acquired new artistic skills in the setting of dementia.

BACKGROUND

Creativity in the setting of dementia has recently been reported. We describe five patients who became visual artists in the setting of FTD.

METHODS

Sixty-nine FTD patients were interviewed regarding visual abilities. Five became artists in the early stages of FTD. Their history, artistic process, neuropsychology, and anatomy are described.

RESULTS

On SPECT or pathology, four of the five patients had the temporal variant of FTD in which anterior temporal lobes are involved but the dorsolateral frontal cortex is spared. Visual skills were spared but language and social skills were devastated.

CONCLUSIONS

Loss of function in the anterior temporal lobes may lead to the "facilitation" of artistic skills. Patients with the temporal lobe variant of FTD offer a window into creativity.

Prognostic significance of plasma markers of immune activation, HIV viral load and CD4 T-cell measurements

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prognostic significance for AIDS occurrence of plasma levels of immune activation markers in comparison with and in conjunction with HIV viral load and CD4 T-cell measurements.

DESIGN

A retrospective analysis was conducted of three plasma activation markers, the soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor II (TNF-RII), neopterin and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels, and of CD4 T-cell levels and plasma HIV viral load.

SUBJECTS

The participants were 659 men taking part in the University of California Los Angeles Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study who were HIV-seropositive but AIDS-free in 1985.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Clinically defined AIDS within 3 years. Failure time statistical regression models for the time to development of AIDS were used to assess prognostic capacity of the parameters alone and in combination.

RESULTS

All the markers had prognostic capability. The levels of the three plasma activation markers correlated well with each other (median r = 0.61). They related less well with HIV RNA plasma levels (median r = 0.50) and least well with CD4 cell levels (median r = 0.36). Furthermore, plasma marker levels were shown to be able to stratify patients for prognosis within all the major categories of CD4 T-cell and HIV RNA levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma levels of soluble TNF-RII and other soluble markers of immune activation have prognostic capabilities which are different from HIV and CD4 T-cell levels. Combination of a single plasma activation marker measurement (such as soluble TNF-RII) with CD4 T-cell levels improved the prognostic capability of each. A new graphic technique for presenting prognostic capability indicated that plasma soluble TNF-RII and CD4 cell levels are better prognostic factors than HIV plasma level with CD4 cells < 200 x 10(6)/l. Inexpensive tests for one of the plasma activation markers, such as soluble TNF-RII or neopterin, can be useful for evaluations of HIV disease course, especially when expensive equipment, technical expertise and funding required for flow cytometry and for HIV load measurements are not readily available.

The metabolic anatomy of tremor in Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE

To identify regional metabolic brain networks related specifically to the presence of tremor in PD.

BACKGROUND

The pathophysiology of parkinsonian tremor is unknown. Because tremor in PD occurs mainly in repose, we used resting state PET with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) to identify specific metabolic brain networks associated with this clinical manifestation.

METHODS

We studied two discrete groups of eight PD patients with and without tremor using FDG/PET. Both patient groups were matched for gender, age, and Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale ratings for akinesia and rigidity. Ten normal volunteer subjects served as controls.

RESULTS

Network analysis with the Scaled Subprofile Model was performed in two steps. 1) We computed the expression of the PD-related pattern (PDRP) identified by us previously in each of the PD patients and control subjects. Although PDRP subject scores were abnormally elevated in the combined PD cohort (p < 0.005), these values did not differ in the PD patient groups with and without tremor (p = 0.36). 2) We used SSM to analyze the data from the combined PD cohort comprising both patient groups. We found that PD patients with tremor were characterized by increased expression of a metabolic network comprising the thalamus, pons, and premotor cortical regions. Subject scores for this pattern were elevated in the tremor group compared with the atremulous patient group and the normal control group (p < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that PD patients with tremor are characterized by distinct increases in the functional activity of thalamo-motor cortical projections. Modulation of this functional anatomic pathway is likely to be the mechanism for successful interventions for the relief of parkinsonian tremor.

Survival and predictors of disability in Turkish MS patients. Turkish Multiple Sclerosis Study Group (TUMSSG)

OBJECTIVE

To examine the natural history, survival, and prognostic factors in a sample of Turkish MS patients.

METHOD

This multicenter study included 1,259 definite MS patients diagnosed according to the criteria of Poser et al. Actuarial analysis of selected disability levels of 3, 6, 8, and 10 achieved with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS); a multivariate Cox regression analysis for prognostic factors related to time to reach EDSS > or = 6; and Pearson's correlation coefficient for individual factors were performed.

RESULTS

The survival (+/- SE) at 15 years from onset was 94.6 +/- 2.9%, and at 25 years was 89.0 +/- 5.8%. The disability reached by 15 years was EDSS > or = 3 in 66.4%, EDSS > or = 6 in 41.2%, EDSS > or = 8 in 10.5%, and EDSS = 10 in 5.4%. The most significant unfavorable prognostic factors were progressive course (relative risk [RR], 3.73; CI, 2.71 to 5.13) and sphincter symptoms at onset (RR, 1.86; CI, 1.23 to 2.82), followed by male sex, motor symptoms at onset, and a high attack frequency within the first 5 years. Primary progressive disease was correlated positively with male sex (r = 0.0895, p = 0.001), older age (r = 0.1807, p = 0.000), and motor (r = 0.1433, p = 0.000) or sphincter symptoms (r = 0.1001, p = 0.000) at onset, unlike relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Although a slightly better prognosis is observed in the Turkish MS population, early prognostic factors are similar to most of the previous Western series. Primary progressive disease, mostly seen in older men with motor and sphincter involvement at onset, has a worse prognosis and may represent a distinct behavioral variant of MS.

Right hemisphere speech perception revealed by amobarbital injection and electrical interference

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the right hemispheric speech perception capabilities of an adult right-handed patient with seizures.

METHODS

Consecutive, unilateral, intracarotid sodium amobarbital injections and left hemispheric electrical interference mapping were used to determine lateralization and localization of speech perception, measured as syllable discrimination.

RESULTS

Syllable discrimination remained intact after left and right intracarotid sodium amobarbital injections. Language otherwise strongly lateralized to the left hemisphere. Despite evidence of bilateral speech perception capabilities, electrical interference testing in the left posterior temporal lobe impaired syllable discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest a functionally symmetric, parallel system in the adult brain with preferential use of left hemispheric pathways for speech perception.

Oral fluids as an alternative to serum for measurement of markers of immune activation

Oral fluids are convenient alternatives to blood sampling for evaluating significant metabolic components. Two forms of oral fluids, oral mucosal transudates (OMT) and saliva, were collected and compared for content of soluble products of immune activation. The data confirm that OMT and saliva represent distinct body fluids. The concentrations, outputs, and analyte/protein ratios of beta-2-microglobulin (beta2M), soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor II (sTNFalphaRII), and neopterin were measured. Both the OMT and the saliva of most of the individuals in the control healthy populations had measurable levels of all three activation markers. When the immune system is activated, as in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the levels of beta2M and sTNFalphaRII are increased in both OMT and saliva compared to those in a healthy control population. OMT levels correlated better with levels in serum than did saliva and appear to reflect systemic immune activation in HIV infection. Because acquisition of oral fluids is noninvasive and easily repeatable, measurement of beta2M and/or sTNFalphaRII content in OMT could be useful in the assessment of disease activity in patients with HIV infection or chronic inflammatory diseases.

Body fluid markers to monitor multiple sclerosis: the assays and the challenges

The need for reliable markers of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) to better guide basic research, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of therapy is well-recognized. A recent European Charcot Foundation Symposium (Body fluid markers for course and activity of disease in multiple sclerosis (Madrid, Spain, October 2-4, 1997) organized by the European Charcot Foundation and the Fundación Española de Esclerosis Múltiple (the Spanish Multiple Sclerosis Foundation) brought together experts in the field to review the state of the art for the technology measuring markers in body fluids. An array of different approaches was presented to measure a wide diversity of classic and novel marker molecules, including cytokines, adhesion molecules, myelin compounds, and free antibody light chains, in either blood, urine, or cerebrospinal fluid. Here, recent progress in these approaches is assessed in the context of distinct pathophysiological stages of the disease, the requirements which such molecules and assays should ideally meet, and the practical and conceptual challenges which they face. Recommendations for further improvements are described.

Effect of high-dose methylprednisolone administration on immune functions in multiple sclerosis patients

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the in vivo effect of corticosteroid pulse therapy on immunocompetent cells in 18 patients given methylprednisolone to treat an acute episode of MS.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Blood was sampled before and after 3 days of methylprednisolone administration at doses of 1 g/day. Lymphocyte subtyping was performed and whole blood cell cultures were used to measure the cytokine producing capacity for interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). In addition, serum levels of the immunoglobulin classes IgG, IgA and IgM were determined.

RESULTS

Before treatment, production of IL-1 was significantly increased in MS patients as compared to healthy controls. After therapy, production of all cytokines was significantly decreased, whereas there were significant increases in the numbers of monocytes, neutrophils and T and B lymphocytes. Treatment had no effect on serum immunoglobulin levels.

CONCLUSION

An important mechanism for the antiinflammatory effect of corticosteroids in MS results from a suppression of the activation of the peripheral immune compartment through inhibition of cytokine production and lymphocyte endothelial adhesiveness.

Urinary markers of disease activity in multiple sclerosis

Numerous markers of disease activity, representing different aspects of the inflammatory cascade and pathogenic process in multiple sclerosis, can be detected in the urine. Urinary monitoring provides distinct advantages over blood and cerebrospinal fluid: it is easier to collect, allows frequent sampling and acts as a natural integrator by capturing the excretion of a substance over a prolonged period of time. We will discuss the principles, advantages, and pitfalls of urinary monitoring in relationship to multiple sclerosis.