Gene expression profiling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS)

The aim of this study was to identify gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) patients to gain insights into the pathogenesis of ALS. We found that upregulation of LPS/TLR4-signaling associated genes was observed in the PMBCs from sALS patients after short-term cultivation, and that elevated levels of gene expression correlated with degree of peripheral blood monocyte activation and plasma LPS levels in sALS. Similar patterns of gene expression were reproduced in LPS stimulated PBMCs from healthy controls. These data suggest that chronic monocyte/macrophage activation may be through LPS/TLR4-signaling pathways in ALS.