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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Utility of Dissociated Intrinsic Hand Muscle Atrophy in the Diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Published on: March 4, 2014
Low-grade systemic inflammation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
D Keizman1, O Rogowski, S Berliner
1Department of Oncology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. danielkeizman@gmail.com
Objective:
To prospectively determine the intensity of systemic low-grade inflammation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Patients And Methods:
Patients with ALS and matched healthy controls underwent blood tests for inflammation-sensitive biomarkers: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), quantitative fibrinogen, wide-range C-reactive protein (wrCRP) concentrations, leukocyte count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). The correlation between these inflammatory biomarkers and disability status of the patients, expressed by the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R), was evaluated.
Results:
Eighty patients with ALS and 80 matched controls were included. wrCRP, fibrinogen, ESR and NLR values were significantly elevated in patients compared with controls. There was a significant correlation between the ALSFRS-R score and wrCRP, ESR and fibrinogen levels. This correlation persisted on sequential examinations.
Conclusions:
A systemic low-grade inflammation was detected in patients with ALS and correlated with their degree of disability. A heightened systemic inflammatory state is apparently associated with a negative prognosis in ALS.
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