CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID LACTATE AND GLUTAMINE ARE REDUCED IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Objectives - To analyse various metabolites in human cerebrospinal flu id from healthy controls and patients with multiple sclerosis. Patient s and methods - Cerebrospinal fluid was obtained from patients by lumb ar puncture, frozen, redissolved, and analysed for metabolites by prot on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results - Significantly lo wer values for lactate and glutamine were found in patients with multi ple sclerosis in comparison with controls. No significant differences were found between patients with the relapsing-remitting and chronic p rogressive forms of the disease for any of the metabolites measured. C onclusion - There is a concomitant reduction in both lactate and gluta mine in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis co mpared to controls. This may be related to altered astrocytic metaboli sm during the disease. The results clearly show the diagnostic potenti al of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in diseases such as multiple scl erosis.