Low somatostatin content in cerebrospinal fluid in multiple sclerosis. An indicator of disease activity?

In 27 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and in 10 control subjects of comparable age, percent ideal body weight and sex ratio, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) content of somatostatin was measured by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that the group of patients in relapse (n = 16) had significantly lower somatostatin content in CSF (95 +/- 4.1 (SEM) pg/ml) than both the control group (142 +/- 8.4 pg/ml) and the group of MS patients (n = 11), who had been in a clinical stable phase for more than 6 months (131 +/- 3.2 pg/ml). Duration of the disease and degree of neurological impairment were apparently without relation to the reduction of somatostatin content in the CSF. There was no relationship between CSF content of somatostatin and the content of total protein or IgG, neither of which showed any relationship to the activity of the disease.