title: Production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: The presence of activated microglia in the spinal cord of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients is usually accompanied by inflammatory biochemical changes, but these are largely unexplored. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is critical for recruitment of inflammatory cells of monocytic lineage after inflammation or injury to the central nervous system. MCP-1 concentrations were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the serum of 27 patients with ALS and 30 patients with noninflammatory neurological diseases. In ALS, circulating MCP-1 levels were significantly increased in the serum and particularly in the CSF. Immunoreactivity for MCP-1 in ALS spinal cord was detected mostly in astrocytes but also in microglia, neurons, and within the vasculature of the cord. Our findings suggest a role for MCP-1 as an important molecular mediator of the injury response in ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Dino Ferrari Center, University of Milan Medical School, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via S. Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy. pierluigi.baron@unimi.it
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bussini
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cardin
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corbo
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galimberti
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scarpini
authors.forename: Nereo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bresolin
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wharton
authors.forename: Pamela J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Silani
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018932:Chemokine CCL2