Cerebrospinal fluid and serum antibodies against neurofilaments in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to assess autoimmune involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).


METHODS
We measured IgG antibodies against light (NFL) and medium (NFM) subunits of neurofilaments using ELISA in paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from 38 ALS patients and 20 controls.


RESULTS
Serum levels of anti-NFL were higher in ALS patients than in controls (P < 0.005). Serum anti-NFL antibodies and intrathecal anti-NFM antibodies were related to patient disability (serum anti-NFL: P < 0.05; intrathecal anti-NFM: P < 0.05). Anti-NFL levels were significantly correlated with anti-NFM levels in ALS (P < 0.001) and the control group (P < 0.0001) in the CSF, but not in serum. Anti-NFL and anti-NFM antibodies significantly correlated between serum and CSF in the ALS group (anti-NFL: P < 0.0001; anti-NFM: P < 0.001) and in the control group (anti-NFL: P < 0.05; anti-NFM: P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Autoimmune humoral response to neurocytoskeletal proteins is associated with ALS.
Fialová
L
L
First Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. lfial@lf1.cuni.cz
Svarcová
J
J
Bartos
A
A
Ridzon
P
P
Malbohan
I
I
Keller
O
O
Rusina
R
R
D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; C044882:neurofilament protein L; C061195:neurofilament protein M