Carbohydrate metabolism, as reflected by glycosylated hemoglobin, in clinically active definite multiple sclerosis

In 30 patients with the diagnosis of definite multiple sclerosis (MS) established on clinical criteria (CDMS-A1 patients), who were in a severe clinical state of MS, i.e., in whom one or more MS clinical signs or symptoms had become obvious during the last 10 days, the integrated concentration of plasma glucose over long-term (the last 6-8 weeks) was established by measurement of the percent of the glycosylated fraction of hemoglobin (Hb A1). This was also investigated in two control groups: CG-1, which consisted in 33 registered healthy blood donors matched for sex and age with the MS patients, and CG-2, consisting in 7 patients with diabetic neuropathy. The mean-value of Hb A1 of 5.1% (SD = 0.82) in the MS patients and that of 5.12% (SD = 0.96) in CG-1 controls are not statistically different (t = 0.09). The Hb A1 mean-value of 10.53% (SD = 3.5) found in the CG-2 controls is different (p < 0.001) from both the mean-values in MS patients and CG-1 controls, which validates the reliability of the HB A1 investigation. The findings indicate that clinical activation in definite MS is not associated with disturbances of glucose metabolism.