title: Significantly increased fractions of transformed to total alpha2-macroglobulin concentrations in plasma from patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: We examined the proteinase inhibitor alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2M) in plasma from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS); a neurological disease of the central nervous system. The plasma concentrations of native and transformed alpha2M were measured in 90 patients with clinically definite MS, 73 with relapsing-remitting and 17 with secondary progressive MS, and 132 healthy individuals. Significantly lower concentrations of native alpha2M and significantly higher concentrations of transformed alpha2M were found in MS patients. A significant correlation between the concentrations of native and transformed alpha2M was found. The fraction of transformed to total alpha2M in the MS patients was 36% higher than in the healthy individuals. The results suggest an important involvement of alpha2M in regulation of increased proteolytic activity occurring in MS disease.
authors.affiliation: The Neuroimmunology Laboratory, Section 9302, MS Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Juliane Mariesvej 20, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. pejensen@nru.dk
authors.forename: Poul Erik H
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Signe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humle Jørgensen
authors.forename: Pameli
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.forename: Per Soelberg
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins