PURPOSE: Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a biomarker for neuronal stress. Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a mitochondrial disease affecting retinal ganglion cells (RGC). These RGCs and their axons in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and optic nerve head may show subclinical pathology in unaffected mutation carriers, or undergo cell death in affected patients. We hypothesize that increased levels of blood NSE may characterize LHON carriers as a biomarker of ongoing RGC stress. METHODS: Serum was obtained from 74 members of a Brazilian pedigree with LHON carrying the homoplasmic 11778/ND4 mitochondrial DNA mutation. Classified by symptoms and psychophysical metrics, 46/74 patients were unaffected mutation "carriers," 14/74 were "affected," and 14/74 were "off-pedigree" controls. Serum NSE levels were determined by ELISA specific for the γ subunit of NSE. RESULTS: Serum NSE concentrations in carriers (27.17 ± 39.82 μg/L) were significantly higher than affected (5.66 ± 4.19 μg/L; P = 0.050) and off-pedigree controls (6.20 ± 2.35 μg/L; P = 0.047). Of the 14/46 (30.4 %) carriers with significantly elevated NSE levels (mean = 75.8 ± 42.3 μg/L), 9/14 (64.3%) were male. Furthermore, NSE levels were nearly three times greater in asymptomatic male carriers (40.65 ± 51.21 μg/L) than in asymptomatic female carriers (15.85 ± 22.27 μg/L; P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Serum NSE levels are higher in LHON carriers compared with affected and off-pedigree individuals. A subgroup of mostly male carriers had significantly elevated serum NSE levels. Thus, male carriers are at higher risk for LHON-related neuronal stress.
PURPOSE:Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a biomarker for neuronal stress. Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a mitochondrial disease affecting retinal ganglion cells (RGC). These RGCs and their axons in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and optic nerve head may show subclinical pathology in unaffected mutation carriers, or undergo cell death in affected patients. We hypothesize that increased levels of blood NSE may characterize LHON carriers as a biomarker of ongoing RGC stress. METHODS: Serum was obtained from 74 members of a Brazilian pedigree with LHON carrying the homoplasmic 11778/ND4 mitochondrial DNA mutation. Classified by symptoms and psychophysical metrics, 46/74 patients were unaffected mutation "carriers," 14/74 were "affected," and 14/74 were "off-pedigree" controls. Serum NSE levels were determined by ELISA specific for the γ subunit of NSE. RESULTS: Serum NSE concentrations in carriers (27.17 ± 39.82 μg/L) were significantly higher than affected (5.66 ± 4.19 μg/L; P = 0.050) and off-pedigree controls (6.20 ± 2.35 μg/L; P = 0.047). Of the 14/46 (30.4 %) carriers with significantly elevated NSE levels (mean = 75.8 ± 42.3 μg/L), 9/14 (64.3%) were male. Furthermore, NSE levels were nearly three times greater in asymptomatic male carriers (40.65 ± 51.21 μg/L) than in asymptomatic female carriers (15.85 ± 22.27 μg/L; P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Serum NSE levels are higher in LHON carriers compared with affected and off-pedigree individuals. A subgroup of mostly male carriers had significantly elevated serum NSE levels. Thus, male carriers are at higher risk for LHON-related neuronal stress.
Authors: Alfredo A Sadun; Valerio Carelli; Solange R Salomao; Adriana Berezovsky; Peter A Quiros; Federico Sadun; Anna Maria DeNegri; Rafael Andrade; Milton Moraes; Angelo Passos; Patrícia Kjaer; Josenilson Pereira; Maria Lucia Valentino; Stan Schein; Rubens Belfort Journal: Am J Ophthalmol Date: 2003-08 Impact factor: 5.258
Authors: Alfredo A Sadun; Carlos Filipe Chicani; Fred N Ross-Cisneros; Piero Barboni; Martin Thoolen; William D Shrader; Kenneth Kubis; Valerio Carelli; Guy Miller Journal: Arch Neurol Date: 2012-03
Authors: Federico Sadun; Anna Maria De Negri; Valerio Carelli; Solange R Salomao; Adriana Berezovsky; Rafael Andrade; Milton Moraes; Angelo Passos; Rubens Belfort; Arlon Bastos da Rosa; Peter Quiros; Alfredo A Sadun Journal: Am J Ophthalmol Date: 2004-02 Impact factor: 5.258
Authors: Gabriel Izan Santos Botelho; Solange Rios Salomão; Célia Harumi Tengan; Rustum Karanjia; Felipo Victor Moura; Daniel Martins Rocha; Paula Baptista Eliseo da Silva; Arthur Gustavo Fernandes; Sung Eun Song Watanabe; Paula Yuri Sacai; Rubens Belfort; Valerio Carelli; Alfredo Arrigo Sadun; Adriana Berezovsky Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2021-01-18 Impact factor: 4.003