| Popis: |
Background: Neurons are highly energy-dependent and highly specialized cells, showing great sensitivity to oxidative stress (OS). This study aimed to contribute to the further elucidation of the role of OS in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Matherial and methods: We assessed nitric oxide () and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 24 sporadic ALS (sALS) patients (13 of them presented with spinal form while 11 patients had bulbar form) and 20 controls (CG).Results: The obtained SOD levels in sALS patients were lower than those in CG (p 0.05). There were significant negative correlations between SOD and NO levels in all sALS patients (r = 0.31, p=0.025). Significant correlation between SOD and functional rating scale as well as disease progression index were recorded in patients with sALS (r=0,618 r= 0.425 p < 0.01), while NO levels were significantly associated with disease progression only (r=0.348 p < 0.01). Conclusion: The data presented here clearly support the role of impaired oxidant/antioxidant balance in the pathogenesis of ALS. The CSF SOD and NO level might serve as a useful biomarker for functional disorder and progression of the disease, but these facts need to be reevaluated in future research which should be performed on a large cohort of ALS patients |
