Metal concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal degenerative disorder of motor neurons. The cause of this degeneration is unknown, and different causal hypotheses include genetic, viral, traumatic and environmental mechanisms. In this study, we have analyzed metal concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood plasma in a well-defined cohort (n = 17) of ALS patients diagnosed with quantitative electromyography. Metal analyses were performed with high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Statistically significant higher concentrations of manganese, aluminium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, zinc, lead, vanadium and uranium were found in ALS CSF compared to control CSF. We also report higher concentrations of these metals in ALS CSF than in ALS blood plasma, which indicate mechanisms of accumulation, e.g. inward directed transport. A pattern of multiple toxic metals is seen in ALS CSF. The results support the hypothesis that metals with neurotoxic effects are involved in the pathogenesis of ALS.

Manganese in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Neurotoxic properties of manganese (Mn) are well documented. It is less known that Mn contributes to the development of neurodegenerative disorders in the general population. This study presents Mn data from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a well-defined cohort diagnosed by electrophysiological methods. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma were collected from patients and controls. Mn concentrations were analyzed by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Concentrations of Mn were significantly higher in ALS CSF (median 5.67 µg/L) than in CSF from controls (median 2.08 µg/L). Also, ALS CSF Mn concentrations were higher than ALS plasma Mn concentrations (median 0.91 µg/L), suggesting transport of Mn into the central nervous system. The properties of barrier systems between blood and the brain are discussed and the possibility of Mn accumulation contributing to the relentless course of ALS is introduced.

Separation of proteins including metallothionein in cerebrospinal fluid by size exclusion HPLC and determination of trace elements by HR-ICP-MS.

A method to study the protein binding patterns of trace elements in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is described. Proteins in CSF samples were separated by size exclusion chromatography combined with high performance liquid chromatography (SEC-HPLC). The column was calibrated to separate proteins in the molecular weight range 6-70 kDa. Fractions were then analyzed off-line for trace elements using high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS). We were able to accurately determine more than 10 elements of clinical interest in the CSF fractions. Results are presented for Cd, Mn, Fe, Pb, Cu and Zn. The total concentrations of 16 trace elements in human plasma and CSF are also presented. The method was able to differentiate the relative contribution of metallothionein and other proteins towards metal binding in human CSF.

Metals in motor neuron diseases.

Degenerative processes within the nervous system are common features in disease entities such as dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT), Parkinson disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a neurodegenerative disease with unknown etiology; widespread muscle wasting and respiratory failure lead to death within a few years. Denervation can be detected with electromyography and axonal deterioration monitored by motor unit number estimates. Several suggestions about the cause of ALS have emerged but no solid theory has yet precipitated. Lead or mercury exposure has been suggested. Exposure data alone cannot support this connection. Alterations in metal kinetics may underlie the deterioration of motor function observed in patients with ALS. In this review the role of metals in motor neuron disease is discussed. Both classic studies on exposure and recent understanding of metal binding proteins are considered. Aspects of peak exposure and excretion are merged toward an understanding of metal dynamics in ALS. An overview of chemical and electrophysiological investigations is given in the context of neurodegeneration.

Immunochromatographic direct on sampling filter test for aeroallergens.

An immunochromatographic method for qualitative and quantitative determination of aeroallergens direct on sampling (ADOS) filters has been developed. In this method, a porous polytetrafluoroethylene filter carrying adsorbed allergens is fixed by double-coated adhesive tape to a supporting filter paper matrix. Following addition of antibodies specific for the relevant allergens and washing and staining reagents via a reagent applicator an immunochromatogram is developed resulting in a 5-10 mm wide area of the sample filter covered with blue-violet-stained spots appearing on a faintly pink or white background. The method takes 30 to 90 min, depending on the nominal porosity (1.2-5 microm) and the defined reaction area (5-10 mm) of the sample filter. Application experiments with birch and grass pollen, soluble Bet v 1, Phl p 5 and mould allergens as well as cat allergen carried by airborne dust revealed a limit of detection of a few picograms of allergen as stained spots. The specificity of the new method to evaluate the type of allergen is a function of the selected antibodies. The concentrations of the allergen in an air sample are related to the number and intensity of stained spots.

Nickel and cobalt activate complement factor C3 faster than magnesium.

We have found that incubation of heparin plasma with Ni(2+) or Co(2+) at concentrations below 100 microM can stimulate the conversion of complement factor C3 to C3b faster than magnesium, which is the natural cofactor in the alternative complement activation. This conversion was monitored by light absorbance measurement after separation by isotachophoresis, immunofixation and protein staining. The generation of C3b stimulated by these metals (<0.5 mM) proceeds up to about four times faster than the stimulation by Mg(2+). Half of total C3 in the incubation media was converted by Ni(2+) or Co(2+) at 0.5 mM after 20 min at 37 degrees C. Increasing Ni(2+) concentrations over 0.5 mM decreased the C3 conversion rate. Activation of C3 stimulated by Ni(2+), Co(2+) and Mg(2+) was concomitant with the conversion of complement factor B to Bb, but complement factor C4 was not affected by the activation. The conversion of B to Bb was monitored after separation by isotachophoresis and immunoblotting. Other divalent metal ions tested, namely Ca(2+), Ba(2+), Cu(2+) and Zn(2+), did not stimulate the complement cascade. We postulate that the increased rate of C3-fragment production induced by nickel or cobalt ions is central for the immunotoxicity of these metals.

Direct on air sampling filter quantification of cat allergen.

A direct on sampling filter in solution (DOSIS) method for quantification of airborne cat allergens has been developed. In this method, the allergens firmly adsorbed to a porous polytetrafluoroethylene filter are reacted with specific antibodies conjugated to alkaline phosphatase, generating a matrix-bound allergen-antibody-phosphatase complex. The treated filter is subsequently floated on a commercially available chemiluminescent phosphatase substrate solution. Aliquots of this solution are removed and analyzed luminometrically. The light intensity of the product is linearly related to the amount of allergen over a large mass range, 0-100 SQ units (1 SQ unit is about 146 pg of the allergenic protein Fel d 1). DOSIS demonstrated intra- and interassay precisions of 9% and 8% and 14% and 21% for the levels 4 and 20 SQ units per filter, respectively. The limit of quantification was estimated to 0.4 SQ units (58 pg Fel d 1) of cat allergen per filter. Application of DOSIS to analysis of cat allergen concentrations of indoor air in homes with and without cats revealed, on average, a six times higher concentration in the former (142 SQ units/m(3)) as compared to the latter (24 SQ units/m(3)). The recorded concentrations for airborne cat allergen in homes with cats are in accordance with previously reported figures. Allergen-specifically stained sampling filters revealed the particulate nature of airborne cat allergen which seemed predominantly to be carried by numerous large dust particles.