Transforming growth factor-β1 in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with distinct neurodegenerative diseases.
A chronic inflammatory condition may underlie neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). For example, both PD and AD patients show an increase in transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) levels in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). TGF-β1 is a cytokine that inhibits inflammation. In the present study, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we tested the hypothesis that the level of TGF-β1 in the CSF of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), or multiple system atrophy-cerebellar subtype (MSA-C) would be elevated compared with that of normal controls. We found that TGF-β1 levels in the CSF were not significantly different between these patients and normal controls. Our data suggest that the level of TGF-β1 in the CSF is an unreliable biomarker of ALS, SCD, and MSA-C.
Movement Disorders, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), Familial Dysautonomia, Parkinson's Disease, Spinocerebellar Ataxia, Primary Lateral Sclerosis, Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 5, Multiple System Atrophy, Alzheimer's Disease, Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy, Dementia, Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 4