title: Decreased serum-soluble TRAIL levels in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease. Previously, it was showed that apoptosis may play a role in the pathomechanisms of this disease. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a cytokine with proapoptotic activity in the central nervous system. The aim of the study was to measure serum TRAIL levels in patients with ALS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 25 patients with ALS and 20 controls. Serum TRAIL levels were performed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study showed that TRAIL levels were significantly decreased in the serum of patients with ALS compared with controls (P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between serum TRAIL levels and clinical parameters of ALS (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A decrease in serum TRAIL levels in patients with ALS suggests that this cytokine may be implicated in the pathomechanisms of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland. ilzecka@onet.pl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iłzecka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human