title: Low-grade systemic inflammation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively determine the intensity of systemic low-grade inflammation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with ALS and matched healthy controls underwent blood tests for inflammation-sensitive biomarkers: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), quantitative fibrinogen, wide-range C-reactive protein (wrCRP) concentrations, leukocyte count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). The correlation between these inflammatory biomarkers and disability status of the patients, expressed by the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R), was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty patients with ALS and 80 matched controls were included. wrCRP, fibrinogen, ESR and NLR values were significantly elevated in patients compared with controls. There was a significant correlation between the ALSFRS-R score and wrCRP, ESR and fibrinogen levels. This correlation persisted on sequential examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A systemic low-grade inflammation was detected in patients with ALS and correlated with their degree of disability. A heightened systemic inflammatory state is apparently associated with a negative prognosis in ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. danielkeizman@gmail.com
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keizman
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rogowski
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berliner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ish-Shalom
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maimon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nefussy
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Artamonov
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Drory
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein