Immune-cell BDNF expression in treatment-naïve relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients and following one year of immunomodulation therapy

Publication date: Available online 29 March 2018Source: Neurologia i Neurochirurgia PolskaAuthor(s): Alicja Kalinowska-Łyszczarz, Mikołaj A. Pawlak, Aleksandra Wyciszkiewicz, Krystyna Osztynowicz, Wojciech Kozubski, Sławomir MichalakAbstractAlthough neurons are the main source of neurotrophins in the healthy brain, neurotrophins can also be expressed in the immune system. We have previously shown that in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) lower immune-cell neurotrophin levels are associated with brain atrophy and cognitive impairment. The aim of the present study was to assess if immune-cell neurotrophin expression is impaired in MS as compared with the healthy controls, and to describe if these levels change in treatment-naïve RRMS patients, following one year of immunomodulation.Fifty treatment-naïve RRMS patients were assessed at baseline and after one year of immunomodulation (beta-interferons/glatiramer acetate). The control group included 39 healthy subjects matched according to age and gender. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from heparinized blood using Ficoll-Histopaque gradient. The levels of brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF), beta-nerve-growth-factor (beta-NGF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and neurotrophin-4/5 (NT-4/5) were measured in PBMC lysates with ELISA.BDNF levels were significantly lower in MS than in the healthy controls (median 613 vs. 1657 pg/mg protein, p < 0.001). After one year of immunomodul...
Source: Polish Journal of Neurology and Neurosurgery - Category: Neurosurgery Source Type: research