Vascular endothelial growth factor-A and chemokine ligand (CCL2) genes are upregulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in Indian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients
2011

VEGF-A and CCL2 Levels in Indian ALS Patients

Sample size: 50 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Pawan K Gupta, Sudesh Prabhakar, Chandrika Abburi, Neel K Sharma, Akshay Anand

Primary Institution: Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India

Hypothesis

The study investigates the mRNA levels of VEGF-A and CCL2 in Indian ALS patients to understand their association with extended survival.

Conclusion

The study found that VEGF-A and CCL2 mRNA levels are significantly elevated in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Indian ALS patients.

Supporting Evidence

  • VEGF-A mRNA levels were found to be significantly elevated in ALS patients compared to controls.
  • CCL2 mRNA levels were found to be unaltered when comparing different ALS classifications.
  • Patients with respiratory dysfunction showed higher levels of VEGF-A and CCL2.

Takeaway

This study shows that certain proteins in the blood of ALS patients in India are higher than in healthy people, which might help them live longer.

Methodology

mRNA levels of VEGF-A and CCL2 were measured in PBMCs using Real Time PCR and compared with normal controls.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the convenience sampling of patients from a single center.

Limitations

The study is limited by its small sample size and the convenience sampling method.

Participant Demographics

Participants included 50 sporadic Indian ALS patients, with 25 definite, 15 probable, and 10 possible ALS cases.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p = 0.0001 for VEGF-A, p = 0.005 for CCL2

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1742-2094-8-114

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