title: Homocarnosine levels in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with infantile spasms under ACTH therapy.
abstract: The alteration of homocarnosine (dipeptide of GABA and histidine) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was studied on 8 cases with infantile spasms under ACTH therapy. CSF was obtained by lumbar puncture before and during ACTH therapy. Homocarnosine was determined by the amino acid autoanalyzer. The attacks of infantile spasms were well controlled in all 8 cases by ACTH therapy. Homocarnosine levels in cerebrospinal fluid of each case decreased from 1.09 to 0.55, 0.92 to 0.41, 1.23 to 0.90, 0.79 to 0.49, 1.06 to 0.75, 1.06 to 0.89, 0.84 to 0.33 and 2.17 to 0.97 mumol/dl, respectively. The decrease of homocarnosine in CSF were 49.5%, 55.4%, 26.8%, 38.0%, 29.2%, 16.0%, 60.7% and 55.3%, respectively. This finding suggests that the decrease of homocarnosine in CSF may be related to the disappearance of attacks of infantile spasms.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002336:Carnosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; C005038:homocarnosine; D002336:Carnosine; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone