Identifying clues to molecular etiology of multiple sclerosis in South Indian patients

Abstract

Background: Environmental risk factors have a dominant role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Unhealthy lifestyle can predispose people to autoimmune diseases. MS was a rare disease in Kerala, but now, we notice frequent cases of MS at the city neurology clinic. Changing lifestyle and associated changes in the level of proinflammatory biomolecules like: leptin, soluble leptin receptor (SLR) and free fatty acids (FA) could be contributing to rise in MS incidence.

Objective: To identify variations in the levels of bio-molecules: leptin, SLR and FA, between MS patients and matched healthy control.

Method: Leptin and SLR levels in the blood serum, were estimated using ELISA, while total FA levels, were estimated using an enzyme based calorimetric assay.

Result: Mean serum FA levels in MS patients (31.39 ± 4.83 nmole/100 μl) were 2.7 fold higher than controls (11.54 ± 2.66 nmoles/100 μl) at more than 99% CI. The differences in mean leptin and SLR levels were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: MS patients had high level of total FA in their blood. High FA in blood may have a role in MS pathogenesis. More in-depth study is required to understand the precise mechanism by which FA rise in MS blood sample can contribute to pathogenesis.

Keywords: Free fatty acids; Leptin; Lifestyle; Multiple sclerosis; Soluble leptin receptor.