Metal concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal degenerative disorder of motor neurons. The cause of this degeneration is unknown, and different causal hypotheses include genetic, viral, traumatic and environmental mechanisms. In this study, we have analyzed metal concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood plasma in a well-defined cohort (n = 17) of ALS patients diagnosed with quantitative electromyography.

Manganese in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Neurotoxic properties of manganese (Mn) are well documented. It is less known that Mn contributes to the development of neurodegenerative disorders in the general population. This study presents Mn data from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a well-defined cohort diagnosed by electrophysiological methods.

Inclusion body myositis in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is increasing. Could findings of similar deposits in brain and muscle tissue explain this increase? The purpose of this report is to illustrate that Alzheimer's disease and inclusion body myositis may share a common aetiology.

Results: We present a case where Alzheimer's disease and inclusion body myositis coexist in the same patient.

Separation of proteins including metallothionein in cerebrospinal fluid by size exclusion HPLC and determination of trace elements by HR-ICP-MS.

A method to study the protein binding patterns of trace elements in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is described. Proteins in CSF samples were separated by size exclusion chromatography combined with high performance liquid chromatography (SEC-HPLC). The column was calibrated to separate proteins in the molecular weight range 6-70 kDa.

Metals in motor neuron diseases.

Degenerative processes within the nervous system are common features in disease entities such as dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT), Parkinson disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a neurodegenerative disease with unknown etiology; widespread muscle wasting and respiratory failure lead to death within a few years. Denervation can be detected with electromyography and axonal deterioration monitored by motor unit number estimates.