title: Caspase-1 levels in biological fluids from patients with multiple sclerosis and from patients with other neurological and non-neurological diseases.
abstract: In multiple sclerosis (MS), pathological white matter damage in the central nervous system is sustained by immune-inflammatory response. Caspase-1 plays a pivotal role in immune-mediated inflammation, as it regulates the cellular export of IL-1beta and IL-18. We carried out a preliminary in vitro study of the kinetics of extracellular caspase-1 release. We then measured caspase-1 levels in paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of 75 MS patients, 15 healthy subjects, and patients with other neurological diseases. Paired synovial fluid and serum samples of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and paired sputum and serum samples of asthma patients were also studied. Mean serum caspase-1 concentrations did not differ between groups. Caspase-1 was detected in the CSF of patients with acute, but not stable, MS [7.5 +/- (SEM) 0.9 pg/ml; test's sensitivity, 56% and specificity, 100%]. Its levels correlated with pleocytosis. The highest mean caspase-1 levels were found in the arthritic synovial fluids (945.5 +/- 126.6 pg/ml, which correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate), and in the sputum samples (370.1 +/- 71.0 pg/ml, which correlated with the number of macrophages in the sputum). On condition that caspase-1 is determined in the fluids pertaining to the disease-specific inflammatory sites, its level is a reliable marker of ongoing immune-inflammatory response. The enzyme measurement in CSF can also help define state-trait in MS.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, IRCCS, Foundation Neurological Institute C. Mondino, via Palestro 3, I-27100 Pavia, Italy. diego.franciotta@mondino.it
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Franciotta
authors.forename: Gianvito
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zardini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Furlan
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergamaschi
authors.forename: Maira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gironi
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bergami
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Benedetti
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pignatti
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moscato
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cosi
mesh_terms: D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000201:enzymology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000201:enzymology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000201:enzymology*; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000201:enzymology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000201:enzymology; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020170:Caspase 1