Serum Ferroxidase [Ceruloplasmin] Activity in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study, University of Ferrara 2014

"...Discussion

Cumulative evidence suggests that both circulating and brain ceruloplasmin play an important physiological role in neuronal iron homeostasis (5). Indeed, on one hand, the ability to oxidize ferric iron in the bloodstream induces the release of iron from tissue stores. On the other hand, FeOx activity of brain ceruloplasmin, present both as glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored and soluble forms, promotes the binding to transport carriers, transferrin, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and final uptake by neurons (5). Recently, this function, as well as the capability of preventing pro-oxidant Fenton reaction, has been used as a conceptual key for interpreting the decrease in peripheral and CSF FeOx as activity observed in patients with neurodegenerative disorders, in particular Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, which were characterized by abnormal oxidative stress and excessive iron accumulation in the brain (7, 12). These two features have been also described in patients suffering from inflammatory CNS diseases, such as MS (2, 3, 9). However, despite this intriguing parallel, to our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate a possible relationship between peripheral FeOx activity and MS...

...In conclusion, our preliminary findings of an association between low serum FeOx activity and MS suggest that impairment of iron homeostasis might be implicated in the pathogenesis of this disease, as well as other pathological conditions characterized by neuroinflammation..."

full paper: http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/28/6/1197.full.pdf