Fatty acids in spinal fluid and serum of patients with demyelinating disorders

THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID is being continuously investigated in order to develop better laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and the determination of its degree of activity. However, good correlation is lacking today between spinal fluid changes and clinical manifestations of this disease. Although first zone colloidal gold reactions and elevation of gamma globulins may provide considerable diagnostic help, such changes are not always demonstrated, and when present usually do not correlate well with the degree of activity of the demyelinating process. A correlation has been reported recently between the free cholesterol of the spinal fluid and the activity of multiple sclerosis.1 However, further studies are needed to substantiate this observation. The present investigation was carried out in order to study the possible relationship between demyelinating disorders and the spinal fluid fatty acids. Previous reports have shown a decrease of some polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, and an increase of cholesterol esters in demyelinating plaques.2~3 With the exception of a single patient with multiple sclerosis studied by Bl~mstrand,~ no other investigation has been reported regarding the spinal fluid fatty acids in this disease.