Increased levels of MIP-1 in CSF and serum of ALS

ObjectivesAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with complicated pathogenesis. No effective diagnostic test and cure exists for the disease at present. We detected the levels of MIP-1 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum and then further evaluated whether MIP-1 levels correlate with the severity and progression of ALS. MethodsWe used ELISAs to detect MIP-1 levels from 58 patients with ALS and 45 age- and gender-matched controls. The patients with ALS were also clinically evaluated with the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-r). Moreover, we followed up with 40 cases of ALS by way of call or clinic visit 4 years after enrollment in this study. Finally, we assessed the correlations between MIP-1 levels and various clinical parameters. ResultsWe found that the levels of MIP-1 in patients with ALS significantly increased compared to controls and they were positively correlated with duration. MIP-1 showed negative correlations with disease progression rate and the decrease in ALSFRS-r. Furthermore, the cumulative survival of patients with ALS with high levels of MIP-1 exceeded patients with low MIP-1 levels. ConclusionsMIP-1 levels increased in both CSF and serum of patients with ALS, and it may be a potential neuroprotective biomarker in ALS.