Study on Association of Serum Uric Acid, Homocystine and Ferritin among Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients in Bangladesh

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that involves the death of neurons that regulate voluntary muscles. It is also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's illness.A link between serum uric acid, homocystine, and ferritin and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may exist.

However, we do not have adequate information on these topics. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the association of serum uric acid, homocystine and ferritin with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Materials and Methods: From January 2010 to December 2011, a case-control research was done in the department of neurology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka, Bangladesh. After the study was completed, the 76 individuals were divided into two equal groups, each with 38 participants. There were 38 ALS patients in group I (case group) and 38 healthy adults in group II (control group). Data was collected using pre-designed questioners, which were then processed and analysed with SPSS version 11.5.

Results: In this study approximately 11% of patients in case group and 5.3% participants in control group (Each of 15.8%) were former smoker only. In case group the mean (±SD) uric acid level was 4.27±1.41 mg/dL whereas it was 4.27±1.41 mg/dL in control group and we found a significant correlation between both the groups (p value > 0.05). In analyzing the association of uric acid with gender of case group we found s significant correlation as the p value was less than 0.05. We found reading of serum uric acid lower in female. In this study, serum uric acid level is inversely correlated with duration of illness and positively correlated with ALS functional rating scale.

Conclusion: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients had lower serum UA levels than healthy individuals and it was significantly lower in female ALS-patients than that of male ALS-patients. Uric acid levels in case group were positively correlated with the ALSFRS-R (severity) and negatively associated with duration of illness. UA levels could be considered as a biomarker of disease progression in the early phase of ALS.