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Patients with EDS deficient in prostaglandin D synthase
Thursday, December 13 2007 | Comments
What's This?
Prostaglandin D synthase levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are significantly decreased in patients who have neurological disorders and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), study results demonstrate, but serum levels show no differences between patients with neurological disorders who have EDS and those who do not have EDS. Previous research has indicated that prostaglandin D2 is an endogenous sleep-promoting substance in both animals and humans, and lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) catalyzes its production. However, the role of prostaglandins in the physiologic and pathologic sleep-wake regulation is not entirely understood.
In a prospective study, Dr. Christian Baumann and colleagues from the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, evaluated L-PGDS levels in the serum and CSF of 44 patients. Twenty-two patients (average age, 42 years) were found to have neurological disorders and EDS (as measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale), and 22 patients (average age, 51 years) were found to have neurological disorders but no EDS. Approximately 50% of both groups were men. For comparison, the researchers also measured CSF levels in 6 healthy control subjects (mean age, 37; 4 men).
Levels of L-PGDS in the CSF of the patients with EDS were significantly lower than were the L-PGDS levels in the CSF of the patients without EDS (13 mg/L vs 18 mg/L; P<0.005) and in the control group (22 mg/L; P=0.02). Scores from the Epworth Sleepiness Scale correlated inversely with L-PGDS levels in the CSF.
The researchers found no differences between the EDS group and the non-EDS group in serum L-PGDS levels; mean serum levels for both groups were 0.6 mg/L (P=0.7). Serum concentrations of L-PGDS are normally markedly lower than CSF levels of L-PGDS.
The authors concluded that a CSF deficiency of L-PGDS exists in patients with neurological disorders who have EDS. (P04.031.)
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