Agrin and low-density lipoprotein-related receptor protein 4 antibodies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.
Muscle Nerve
; 55(3): 430-432, 2017 03.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27756107
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
The prevalence and characteristics of agrin and low-density lipoprotein-related receptor protein 4 (LRP4) antibody-positive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients were studied.METHODS:
We tested 82 ALS patients and 59 controls for agrin and LRP4 antibodies using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA).RESULTS:
We found that 13.8% of ALS patients had agrin antibodies, and 9.8% had LRP4 antibodies. Women with ALS are twice as likely as men to have antibodies. Agrin-positive ALS patients are younger than agrin-negative ALS patients.CONCLUSIONS:
Antibodies to agrin and LRP4 are found in ALS patients. It must be determined whether these antibodies are pathogenic. Because antibody-positive patients have upper as well as lower motor neuron findings, the antibodies' effects cannot be explained solely by their actions at the neuromuscular junction. A breakdown in interneuronal signaling may be the cause of ALS. Further research is needed to resolve this question. Muscle Nerve, 2016 Muscle Nerve 55 430-432, 2017.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Autoantibodies
/
Agrin
/
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
/
Lipoproteins, LDL
Type of study:
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Muscle Nerve
Year:
2017
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: