Neuron specific in vitro cytotoxicity of sera from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Sera from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were assayed for a neuron-specific cytotoxic effect on long-term organized cultures of neonatal mouse anterior horn segments. Blind studies show that ALS sera when incorporated into the culture media have a greater degree of antineuronal toxicity than sera from patients with other neurological diseases or from family members of ALS patients.