CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Introduction: ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. Poor prognostic factors described are: 1) older age, 2) shorter time from onset to diagnosis and 3) bulbar onset patients. PROG demonstrated antioxidant and neuroprotective properties in animal models of ALS. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess plasma levels of PROG in ALS patients and healthy subjects, and to correlate these levels with prognostic factors described in this disease. Methodology: We selected 13 patients with definite or probable ALS and 8 healthy subjects and determined PROG plasma levels by radioimmunoassay (RIA). We analyzed results among these groups and in relation with prognostic factors, genre and time since diagnosis (evolution of the disease) with the Two-way ANOVA. Results: We studied 7 women and 6 men in the ALS group and 2 / 6 in the control group. All women were postmenopausal. No difference was observed in age: ALS 51.62 ± 3.07 years and controls 52.38 ± 4.33. Plasma levels of PROG were: ALS 0.43 ± 0.08 ng/ml and controls 0.35 ± 0.03 ng/ml (p = 0.42). No difference was either obtained when comparing genre, time onset to diagnosis or time since diagnosis. Nevertheless, we found significantly higher levels in patients < 55 years, with less than 24 months of evolution, without variation among controls (Two-way ANOVA p = 0.031). We also found higher levels in spinal rather than bulbar onset patients (borderline significance). Conclusion: No differences were found in PROG plasma levels between overall ALS patients and controls. We found higher PROG levels according to age (patients < 55 years) and to site of onset (spinal), both considered better prognostic factors. We suggest increased PROG levels in subgroups of improved prognosis could be affording neuroprotection

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