Raised cerebrospinal fluid nitrite and nitrate levels in patients with multiple sclerosis: no correlation with disease activity.
A growing body of evidence implicates excessive generation of nitric oxide (NO) within the central nervous system (CNS) in multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of our study is to analyse nitrite and nitrate as end products of NO in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from MS patients and correlate the concentrations with clinicol characteristics of the disease. CSF nitrite and nitrate concentrations were measured after reduction of nitrate, by Griess reaction, in 105 MS potients, 27 patients with non-inflammatory neurological disorders (NIND) and 13 individuals without neurological disorder (Co). Mean CSF nitrite and nitrate concentrations were significantly higher in patients with MS and NIND compared with the Co patients (9.44 and 8.68, respectively, versus 6.85 microM; P=0.0001 and P=0.031, respectively). There was no significant correlation between CSF nitrite and nitrate concentrations and activity, phase, severity and duration of MS. Our data are in agreement with the results of previous studies which have demonstrated raised concentrations of CSF NO metabolites in MS patients, providing further evidence for NO involvement in MS. The lack of correlation between NO metabolites and disease activity speaks in favour of the possible dual role of NO, as both immunoregulatory and pro-inflammatory molecule, in the pathogenesis of MS.
Drulović
J
J
Institute of Neurology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Dujmović
I
I
Mesaros
S
S
Samardzić
T
T
Maksimović
D
D
Stojsavljević
N
N
Lević
Z
Z
Mostarica Stojokvić
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D009566:Nitrates / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D013997:Time Factors
D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide