Blood lipid, homocysteine, uric acid and vitamins in clinically stable Multiple Sclerosis patients

Abstract

A decrease of antioxidants, of neuroprotective and immunoregulatory vitamins and an increase of total-Homocysteine, Cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and of cellular stress markers [1] was reported in patients affected by Multiple Sclerosis. Recently, considering their unreliability, mainly due to the variability of the samples investigated, the attention focused on clinical relapse that results associated to a decrease of Uric acid and an increase of Cholesterol and stress markers. Aim. To identify the biochemical status during Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in a phase of clinical stability (PCS), we compared the blood levels of Urico acid (UA), Folic acid (FA), vitamins B12, A, and E, total-Homocysteine (t-Hcy), total Cholesterol (CHL) , HDL-CHL, and Triglycerides (TG) in 20 MS stable patients with those of 40 healthy controls. Methods. Consecutive MS patients, with relapsing-remitting or secondary-progressive courses, in a (PCS), were included. Plasma t-Hcy levels were determined by Ubbink method [1]. Technicon Immuno autoanalyser was used for serum FA and vitamin B12 assays. HPLC and fluorometry were used for UA, vitamin A and E, CHL, HDL-CHL, and TG assays. The ratio of E/CHL was valued. Results and Discussions. We found that MS patients in a PCS have higher blood levels of vitamin B12, t-Hcy, CHL, and HDL-CHL and lower blood levels of vitamin E and of the ratio E/CHL. The blood level of UA, FA, vitamin A, and TG do not differ from controls during this phase of MS. The increased level of CHL could be expression of both an its increased synthesis by neural cells and a chronic damage of myelin and axons. HDL-CHL concentration might arise to counteract the increase of CHL and assure its transport to the liver. Plasma levels of vitamin E, the major hydrophobic chain-breaking antioxidant, are decreased and our data confirm and support the view that it is consumed to counterbalance MS chronic neurodegeneration. Also, the increased levels of t-Hcy and vitamin B12 match previous studies performed in MS patients outside relapse. No significant differences in UA, FA, vitamin A, and TG levels appeared, making unprobable their involvement in the degenerative process of the stable phase of MS.