title: Cytotoxic activity in plasma from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: The present study evaluates an assay of cytotoxic effect of plasma from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Plasma from 20 recently diagnosed ALS patients induced hemolysis of normal red blood cells with a significantly greater intensity than that of normal controls. After at least 1 month of treatment with prednisone and azathioprine, the hemolytic activity of ALS plasma was reduced but was still higher than that of control plasma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Overgaard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Werdelin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mogensen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boysen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone