[Effect of the treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone on the 2,3-diphosphoglycerate level in the erythrocytes of patients with multiple sclerosis].

The reported study was carried out in 20 patients with multiple sclerosis (12 women, 8 men) aged 23 to 54 years, with disease duration from 3 to 20 years. The patients were treated with the preparation ACTH-Polfa 2000 mg for one treatment course. The patients were divided into subgroups considering the age, disease duration, clinical form and clinical course of the disease. The control group comprised 22 healthy subjects (10 women and 12 men) aged from 22 to 41 years. The concentration of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in the erythrocytes was determined by Bartlett's method twice: before and after ACTH treatment. Before the treatment the concentration of 2,3-DPG in the erythrocytes of the patients was not different from that in the controls, but after the treatment this concentration was significantly increased in all groups. It was demonstrated, furthermore, that 2,3-DPG concentration in the erythrocytes could change before ACTH treatment depending on the age of the patients and the clinical course of the disease.