The correlation of the serum level of L-carnitine with disease severity in patients with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

J Clin Neurosci. 2021 Jul:89:232-236. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.05.017. Epub 2021 May 13.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between reserve of L-carnitine and severity in patients with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is not studied sufficiently. We decided to measure the serum levels of L-carnitine in patients and the relationship with ALS severity.

Method: This cross-sectional study evaluated the serum levels of L-carnitine in 30 patients with ALS (total-case) divided into two groups included 15 patients in the Oral-Fed (OF) group and 15 patients in the Enteral-Fed (EF) group, compared with 15 healthy people matched in age and sex in the control group. We measured the body mass index (BMI), daily intake of L-carnitine, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS), and serum L-carnitine level in all participants and compared among groups.

Results: Serum L-carnitine (p < 0.001) and BMI (p = 0.03) were significantly lower in the total-case group compared to the control group. Alternatively, the serum level of L-carnitine (p = 0.001), ALSFRS (p < 0.001), BMI (p = 0.007), and dietary L-carnitine intake (p = 0.002) were significantly higher in OF group compared with EF. Higher serum L-carnitine levels were associated with a higher score of ALSFRS (β = 0.46, P = 0.01) in the total-case group.

Conclusion: Our study's results showed that serum levels of L-carnitine were lower in patients with ALS in comparison to healthy people. Also, the lower serum level of L-carnitine was associated with the higher severity of the disease.

Keywords: ALS; ALSFRS; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; L-carnitine; Serum level.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / blood*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / diagnosis*
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Body Mass Index
  • Carnitine / blood*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Disease Progression*
  • Eating / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Severity of Illness Index*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Carnitine