TRACE-ELEMENTS, AGE, AND SEX IN AMYOTROPHIC-LATERAL-SCLEROSIS DISEASE

The statistical tests analysis of variance, analysis of-covariance, co rrelation coefficient, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, t-test, and Tukey test were applied to copper, magnesium, manganese,and zinc content in seru m (S) and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of controls and of a sporadic f orm of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease. This is carried ou t in order to evaluate statistically the possible relationships among the trace elements when ALS patients and controls are considered as in dependent groups, within sex groups and within age decades of both pat ients and control classes. A statistically significant difference betw een older controls (age > 40) and ALS patients (age > 40) for copper i n CSF, copper in S, manganese in S, and zinc in CSF was found. Statist ically significant correlation coefficients within the different class es formed for this study were observed. Within this pool, a correlatio n of patient group can differ statistically from the corresponding one of controls and vice versa. Thus, this correlation could be character istic of the group from which is extracted, e.g., the correlation betw een copper in S and zinc in S, which is characteristic of ALS patients when considered as an independent group as well as members of the mal e patient class.