Investigation of serum levels of orexin-A, transforming growth factor ß, and leptin in patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease affecting various inflammatory and nutritional parameters. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Body Mass Index (BMI) of MS patients and the serum levels of leptin, orexin-A, and Transforming Growth Factor ß (TGF-ß). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 25 patients suffering from MS and 40 healthy individuals as the case and control groups, respectively. The serum levels of leptin, orexin-A, and TGF-ß were assessed in the participants using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay methods. Moreover, data were analyzed using the descriptive statistical indices, t-test, chi-square test, and linear regression test. RESULTS: According to our results, the participants' mean age was 38.04 ± 7.53 and 40.23 ± 5.88 in the case and control groups, respectively. Also, the groups were not significantly different in gender, age, alcohol consumption, and smoking (p > 0.05). It was found that the mean serum levels of orexin-A and TGF-ß were significantly lower in the MS patients compared to the control group, while the mean serum leptin levels were significantly higher (42.8 vs. 18.9 ng/ml, p < 0.001). Moreover, there was no significant relationship between the BMI of the MS patients and their serum levels of orexin-A, TGF-ß, and leptin (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we found significantly lower levels of orexin-A and TGF-ß and a significantly higher level of leptin in the MS patients compared to the control group. In addition, there was no significant relationship between the BMI and the serum levels of orexin-A, TGF-ß, and leptin in MS patients.

Evaluation of the Diagnostic and Predictive Value of Serum Levels of ANT1, ATG5, and Parkin in Multiple Sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system, which ultimately may lead to various disabilities in patients. No definitive cure has yet been developed for the disease. MRI is the method of choice for imaging MS plaques, which would be useful in disease diagnosis as it becomes progressive. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the serum levels of ANT1 (adenine nucleotide translocase 1), ATG5 (autophagy-related protein 5), and Parkin in patients with MS, all of which play essential roles in MS pathophysiology, as novel serum biomarkers for early diagnosis of the disease. DESIGN AND METHODS: Forty patients in the early stages of the disease, and 40 healthy individuals were selected as the case and control groups. Upon sampling, the serum levels of the biomarkers were measured. RESULTS: The results indicated that autophagy, mitophagy, and mitochondrial apoptosis were different in the case and control groups. The oxidative stress level evaluation revealed low concertation of total antioxidant status (TAS) in the MS patients, while a partial increase accompanied the malondialdehyde (MDA). No significant correlation was observed between oxidative stress and autophagy or mitophagy factors. CONCLUSION: According to the results obtained from this study, the evaluation of serum levels of ANT1, ATG5, and Parkin could be applied in the diagnosis and follow-up of MS patients.