Activin A concentrations in human cerebrospinal fluid are age-dependent and elevated in meningitis.
J Neurol Sci
; 250(1-2): 50-7, 2006 Dec 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16920154
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Activin A, and its binding protein, follistatin (FS), are expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). We have previously shown elevated concentrations of FS in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with meningitis and increased concentrations of activin A in the CSF of rabbits with bacterial meningitis.METHODS:
We measured CSF and serum concentrations of activin A and FS in normal subjects and in patients with various neurological diseases using previously validated immunoassays specific for activin A or FS.RESULTS:
In healthy persons, serum concentrations of both activin A and FS were age-dependent. In CSF, concentrations of activin A ranged from 0.03 to 0.33 ng/ml and were strongly correlated with age in both sexes, whereas FS CSF concentrations were below the assay detection limit in most of the patients. Activin A concentrations in CSF of patients with various neurological diseases, including meningitis, chronic inflammatory CNS diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, tumors in the CNS, cerebral ischemia, intracerebral/subarachnoid hemorrhages, subdural hemorrhages and epileptic seizures, were compared with age- and sex-matched control patients. The comparisons revealed significantly elevated concentrations of activin A in patients with meningitis (P=0.017). Serum concentrations of activin A or FS were not affected by any of the neurological diseases examined.CONCLUSIONS:
Our results show for the first time that in normal subjects concentrations of activin A in CSF are correlated with age, and furthermore, that activin A CSF concentrations are elevated in patients with meningitis. The latter underlines a role for activin A in acute inflammatory processes within the CNS.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Envejecimiento
/
Proteínas del Líquido Cefalorraquídeo
/
Activinas
/
Meningitis
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Neurol Sci
Año:
2006
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Alemania