BDNF and Pro-BDNF in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A New Perspective for Biomarkers of Neurodegeneration.

ABSTRACT: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of upper or lower motor neurons, leading to muscle wasting and paralysis, resulting in respiratory failure and death. The precise ALS aetiology is poorly understood, mainly due to clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Thus, the identification of reliable biomarkers of disease could be helpful in clinical practice. In this study, we investigated whether the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its precursor Pro-BDNF in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may reflect the pathological changes related to ALS. We found higher BDNF and lower Pro-BDNF levels in ALS sera compared to healthy controls. BDNF/Pro-BDNF ratio turned out to be accurate in distinguishing ALS patients from controls. Then, t

SUBMITTER: Riolo G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9139087 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature