[The level of Interleukin-6 in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

The role of immune factors in the pathogenesis of ALS is taken into account and, in view of this, it was decided to study the role of interleukins (IL) taking IL-6 as an example. Its concentration was determined in blood and CSF with Amersham RIA kits. The study was carried out on 16 ALS patients and 16 patients with low back pain who served as controls.

[Calcitonin level in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

Several data indicate that the dysfunction of some neuropeptide function may play a role in the pathogenesis of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Therefore, the authors decide to determine a concentration of one of them in CSF, namely calcitonin. Calcitonin is widely distributed in CNS, including both anterior and posterior horns of the spinal cord.

[Concentration of epidermal growth factor in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

In 15 patients with SLA and 15 with discopathy regarded as a control group the level of epidermal growth factor (EGF) was determined by radioreceptor assay in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The EFG level in the serum could not be determined by this method. In the CSF of SLA patients this level was 587.

[Clinical trial of the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with bromocriptine].

The authors accepting the hypotesis that in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis the hypothalamic dopamine receptor function is impaired tried to treat this disease with bromocryptine as an agonist of this receptor. The observation was carried out in 19 patients with moderately advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Bromocryptine was given to the patients in tablets Parlodel Sandoz 7.

[Effect of thyroliberin treatment on the thyrotropin and prolactin levels in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

The blood serum TSH and PRL levels were studied in 12 ALS patients after TRH stimulation. The TSH test was repeated after 4-weeks TRH treatment. The results were compared with the data obtained in the control group.