Cerebrospinal fluid levels of free 3-nitrotyrosine are not elevated in the majority of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Alzheimer's disease.
The mechanisms behind the degeneration of neurons in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are not fully understood. However, oxidation of certain amino acid residues in proteins may contribute to cell injury and some of these oxidized amino acids may also be suitable as biomarkers for oxidative injury. Therefore, it is suggested that the reaction between peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) and tyrosine in vivo can be monitored by monitoring the formation of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT). In this work, a newly developed gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method was applied to human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The free 3-NT levels were determined in the CSF from 19 controls, 17 patients with AD and 14 patients with ALS. The levels of free 3-NT in the CSF were considerably lower than those previously reported. The majority of the patients with AD or ALS had free 3-NT levels in the same range as seen in the control individuals and only a few patients showed increased levels of free 3-NT.
Ryberg
Henrik
H
Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Sahlgren University Hospital, University of Göteborg, 413 45 Göteborg, Sweden. henrik.ryberg@neuro.gu.se
Söderling
Ann-Sofi
AS
Davidsson
Pia
P
Blennow
Kaj
K
Caidahl
Kenneth
K
Persson
Lennart I
LI
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D015415:Biomarkers; C002744:3-nitrotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine