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Abstract: Background: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), which was previously considered a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS), is characterized by recurrent optic neuritis and longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesions. It has been shown that the level of haptoglobin in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is elevated in NMO. However, it is uncertain whether this change is specific to NMO, or is also seen in MS and other neurological diseases. Methods: We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure the haptoglobin levels in the CSF and serum in 25 NMO, 16 MS, and 15 Alzheimer''s disease (AD) patients and 22 controls. Results: The CSF haptoglobin concentration of the NMO patients (0.309±0.074mg/dl, P <0.001) was significantly higher than that of MS patients (0.081±0.016mg/dl) and AD patients (0.058±0.011mg/dl), and the controls (0.060±0.009mg/dl), whereas the serum haptoglobin and albumin concentrations in the serum and CSF did not differ significantly across groups. NMO patients (0.59±0.15, P =0.001) demonstrated a higher haptoglobin index than MS patients (0.13±0.01), AD patients (0.12±0.03), and the controls (0.17±0.04). Furthermore, the haptoglobin concentration and haptoglobin index in the CSF correlated significantly with the expanded disability scale score (EDSS) in NMO patients. Conclusions: The high CSF haptoglobin concentration in NMO may be explained by increased intrathecal haptoglobin synthesis. The correlation between CSF haptoglobin concentration/haptoglobin index and EDSS highlights the potential of haptoglobin as a biomarker of NMO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy that causes acute areflexic paralysis with a high risk of respiratory failure. Previously, using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, we found that the transthyretin level was altered in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of GBS patients when compared to that in CSF of control patients. Methods: We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure the transthyretin levels in the CSF and serum from 22 GBS, 4 Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS), 9 chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), 22 multiple sclerosis (MS), 10 Alzheimer''s disease (AD), and 6 viral meningitis (VM) patients, and 18 controls. Results: The results show that CSF transthyretin concentration of the GBS patients is significantly higher than that of the control, MS, AD and VM patients (p <0.05), although not significantly different from that of MFS and CIDP patients. Conclusion: The increased CSF transthyretin level may be explained by barrier dysfunction or decreased CSF flow in the GBS patients along with increased intrathecal synthesis of transthyretin that might be a protective response to nerve damage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Prostaglandin D2 synthase (PGDS) is the most abundant brain protein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and is tied closely with inflammatory processes. This study investigated whether CSF PGDS levels in patients with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) are altered. The results suggest that PGDS concentration is significantly increased in the CSF of AIDP patients compared with the control patients (p <0.05) due to a blood-CSF barrier dysfunction, whereas the intrathecal synthesis of PGDS, reflected by the CSF PGDS/albumin ratio, is significantly decreased in AIDP compared with the control group (p <0.05). The changes of CSF PGDS/albumin ratio are only observed in AIDP patients, but not in Miller Fisher Syndrome (MFS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), or multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The beneficial effects of garlic ( Allium sativum ) consumption in treating human diseases have been reported worldwide over a long period of human history. The strong antioxidant effect of garlic extract (GE) has also recently been claimed to prevent cancer, thrombus formation, cardiovascular disease and some age-related maladies. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, aqueous GE was herein shown to increase the expression of longevity-related FOXO transcription factor daf-16 and extend lifespan by 20%. By employing microarray and proteomics analysis on C. elegans treated with aqueous GE, we have systematically mapped 229 genes and 46 proteins with differential expression profiles, which included many metabolic enzymes and yolky egg vitellogenins. To investigate the garlic components functionally involved in longevity, an integrated metabolo-proteomics approach was employed to identify metabolites and protein components associated with treatment of aqueous GE. Among potential lifespan-promoting substances, mannose-binding lectin and N -acetylcysteine were found to increase daf-16 expression. Our study points to the fact that the lifespan-promoting effect of aqueous GE may entail the DAF-16-mediated signaling pathway. The result also highlights the utility of metabolo-proteomics for unraveling the complexity and intricacy involved in the metabolism of natural products in vivo . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]