Cerebrospinal fluid corticotropin and cortisol are reduced in infantile spasms.
Infantile spasms respond to ACTH, and levels of the hormone in cerebrospinal fluid of untreated infants with this disorder were found to be lower than in age-matched controls. In this study we analyzed cerebrospinal fluid cortisol and ACTH using improved immunoassays in a larger cohort of infants with infantile spasms. Analysis of 20 patients and 15 age-matched controls revealed significantly lower levels of both ACTH and cortisol in the cerebrospinal fluid. These data, combined with the efficacy of ACTH and glucocorticoids for infantile spasms, support an involvement of the brain-adrenal-axis in this disorder.
Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
T Z
TZ
Baram
W G
WG
Mitchell
R A
RA
Hanson
O C
OC
Snead
E J
EJ
Horton
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone