[Brain-derived and ciliary neurotrophic factors in patients with multiple sclerosis]

Objective. To study serum concentrations of BDNF and CNTF in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and compare them to clinical characteristics of MS. Material and methods. We examined 43 patients with confirmed diagnosis of MS according to McDonald's criteria with remitting type of disease course. Patients were in a stable condition and did not receive hormone treatment during the last 30 days. Serum concentrations of BDNF and CNTF were measured using ELISA. Results. Mean serum BDNF concentration was 7.9 (5.21; 14.7) ng/ml that was significantly lower (p=0.0001) compared to control values and was correlated with depression severity (r= -0.31, p=0.04) and physical asthenia (r= -0.32, p=0.04). CNTF concentration was 69.9 (31.2; 123.3) pg/ml (CNTF was not found in healthy people) and was correlated with the results of cognitive function assessment (the PASAT test) (r= -0.30, p=0.046). Conclusion. The difference in BDNF and CNTF serum concentrations between MS patients and healthy people and correlations with some clinical characteristics of MS provide evidence for the involvement of these factors in MS pathogenesis.