Adenosine deaminase and xanthine oxidase levels in multiple sclerosis patients

Aim: Multiple sclerosis represents an autoimmune, chronic, inflammatory, and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Inflammation and oxidative stress are considered to take a significant part in its pathogenesis. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) and xanthine oxidase (XO) enzymes, which are involved in purine metabolism, are critical for regulating inflammation and oxidative stress. Therefore, this study's goal is to evaluate the levels of these two enzymes in patients with the relapsing-remitting type of multiple sclerosis (MS) in their remission period. Material and Methods: Thirty patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who were in their remission period and diagnosed in accordance with the Mc Donald 2010 criteria along with 30 healthy volunteer controls, matched with regard to age and gender, were enrolled in the research. Serum ADA levels were studied by the sensitive colorimetric method that was defined by Giusti, while XO levels were studied by the Worthington method. Results: RRMS patients had significantly higher serum ADA and XO levels compared to the control subjects (both of the P values = 0.004). Discussion: In our study, we conclude that two of the most crucial underlying pathogenic mechanisms of MS, inflammation and oxidative stress, may be associated with the increased levels of ADA and XO, and an approach of targeting the activity of these two enzymes can be considered in treatment strategies. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that ADA and XO enzymes were elevated even in the remission phases of RRMS, reflecting the continuity of inflammation through the whole course of RRMS. Thus, in this disease, which is thought to have a dynamic process, the importance of continuous immunomodulatory treatment is emphasized once again.