title: Identifying clues to molecular etiology of multiple sclerosis in South Indian patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Environmental risk factors have a dominant role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Unhealthy lifestyle can predispose people to autoimmune diseases. MS was a rare disease in Kerala, but now, we notice frequent cases of MS at the city neurology clinic. Changing lifestyle and associated changes in the level of proinflammatory biomolecules like: leptin, soluble leptin receptor (SLR) and free fatty acids (FA) could be contributing to rise in MS incidence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify variations in the levels of bio-molecules: leptin, SLR and FA, between MS patients and matched healthy control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Leptin and SLR levels in the blood serum, were estimated using ELISA, while total FA levels, were estimated using an enzyme based calorimetric assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean serum FA levels in MS patients (31.39 ± 4.83 nmole/100 μl) were 2.7 fold higher than controls (11.54 ± 2.66 nmoles/100 μl) at more than 99% CI. The differences in mean leptin and SLR levels were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MS patients had high level of total FA in their blood. High FA in blood may have a role in MS pathogenesis. More in-depth study is required to understand the precise mechanism by which FA rise in MS blood sample can contribute to pathogenesis.
authors: Centre for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Edapally, Kochi 682041, India. Electronic address: dhanyajoseph@aims.amrita.edu.
authors: Dhanya
authors: D
authors: Joseph
authors: Department of Neurology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Edapally, Kochi India. Electronic address: rsureshkumar@aims.amrita.edu.
authors: Suresh
authors: S
authors: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D020738:Leptin; D054411:Receptors, Leptin
keywords: Free fatty acids; Leptin; Lifestyle; Multiple sclerosis; Soluble leptin receptor