Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2839201 | Trends in Molecular Medicine | 2006 | 8 Pages |
Cobalamin-deficient (Cbl-D) central neuropathy in the rat is associated with a locally increased expression of neurotoxic tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and a locally decreased expression of neurotrophic epidermal growth factor (EGF). These recent findings suggest that cobalamin oppositely regulates the expression of TNF-α and EGF, and raise the possibility that these effects might be independent of its coenzyme function. Furthermore, adult Cbl-D patients have high levels of TNF-α and low levels of EGF in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Serum levels of TNF-α and EGF of cobalamin-treated patients normalize concomitantly with haematological disease remission. These observations suggest that cobalamin deficiency induces an imbalance in TNF-α and EGF levels in biological fluids that might have a role in the pathogenesis of the damage caused by pernicious anaemia.