title: Excitatory amino acids and multiple sclerosis: evidence from cerebrospinal fluid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent evidence suggests an altered glutamate homeostasis in the brain of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), as seen in experimental models of MS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test whether the excitotoxic insult contributes to the pathological process in MS by measuring glutamate and aspartate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients and control individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five patients with the relapsing-remitting form of MS during a stable clinical phase, 30 patients with relapsing-remitting MS during relapse, and 25 patients with the secondary progressive form of MS were included in the study. Data were compared with those of 20 age-matched control subjects without diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Glutamate and aspartate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cerebrospinal fluid glutamate levels were significantly higher in patients assessed during relapse compared with those of the patients with relapsing-remitting MS examined during the stable clinical phase and the controls (P<.001). The levels of glutamate detected in patients with relapsing-remitting MS during the stable phase who had active lesions were significantly higher than in those without neuroradiological evidence of disease activity (P<.001). Significantly higher levels of glutamate were found in patients with secondary progressive MS with an increase of 1 or more points on the Expanded Disability Status Scale score compared with stable patients with secondary progressive MS and control subjects (P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neurotoxic events occur in MS patients, and they can be responsible for oligodendrocyte and neuronal cell death in patients with this demyelinating disease. The manipulation of glutamate-altered homeostasis or antagonizing glutamate receptor-mediated excitotoxicity may have therapeutic implications in MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Department, Institute of Clinical and Applied Biochemistry, Policlinico Monteluce, University of Perugia, Via E Dal Pozzo, 06126 Perugia, Italy. neuro.pg@tiscalinet.it
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarchielli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: Ardesio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Floridi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Floridi
authors.forename: Virgilio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gallai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA