Plasma thiol/disulphide homeostasis changes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Immunology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disease where inflammation and oxidative stress are key pathological factors.
• Thiol/disulphide homeostasis (TDH) is a critical biomarker for oxidative stress, known to be altered in various conditions, including MS.
• The impact of relapse status in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) on TDH levels remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate TDH levels in RRMS patients during different disease states: remission, relapse, and post-treatment.
• To compare TDH status between RRMS patients and healthy controls.
• To establish the relationship between oxidative stress markers and RRMS activity.

Main Methods:

• The study included four groups: RRMS patients without recent attacks (MS Control), RRMS patients with recent attacks (MS relapse), RRMS patients post-treatment (MS Remission), and healthy controls.
• TDH status was assessed using automated spectrophotometric analysis.
• Comparisons of TDH levels were made across all study groups.

Main Results:

• MS relapse patients exhibited significantly lower native thiol, total thiol, and native thiol/total thiol ratios compared to MS control, MS remission, and healthy groups.
• Conversely, disulphide levels, disulphide/native thiol, and disulphide/total thiol ratios were highest in the MS relapse group.
• These findings indicate a marked increase in oxidative stress during RRMS relapses.

Conclusions:

• Elevated oxidative stress in RRMS patients correlates with reduced thiol and increased disulphide levels.
• The reversible nature of disulphide bond formation suggests potential therapeutic strategies targeting TDH.
• Dynamic monitoring of TDH status presents a promising biomarker for RRMS diagnosis and prognosis.