Alterations of the Cytokines, Chemokines, and Growth Factors in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Advanced-stage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Objective Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that mainly affects the motor neuron system and activates multiple molecular pathways including neuroinflammation. Changes in the levels of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors in patients with advanced-stage ALS have not yet been reported. This study analyzed the levels of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors in the CSF of ALS patients with an average ALS functional rating scale score revised (ALSFRS-R) of less than 10. Methods We analyzed the levels of 16 cytokines, 6 chemokines, and 5 growth factors in the CSF of patients with ALS. These levels were compared between patients with ALS and healthy controls (HCs). The relationship between ALSFRS-R and interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, and IL-15 levels was assessed. The discriminating ability of IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-15 was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results The IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-15 levels in the CSF of patients with ALS were significantly higher than those in controls. IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-15 levels were negatively correlated with ALSFRS-R and demonstrated discriminatory ability between the ALS and control groups. Conclusions Our findings suggest that neuroinflammation may contribute to the pathomechanism of ALS, even in advanced stages, and that IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-15 may serve as potential immune parameters for advanced-stage ALS.