Plasma cerebrosides in stroke and multiple sclerosis.

This investigation was conducted to determine whether or not plasma galactosyl ceramides were elevated in patients with stroke and multiple sclerosis, and to determine glycosyl ceramide concentrations in older, normal subjects. It was hypothesized that central nervous system destruction, like that which occurs in stroke or in the demyelination characteristic of multiple sclerosis, might be reflected by changes in plasma glycosyl ceramides, specifically by an increased percentage of galactosyl ceramide. Glycosyl ceramides were analyzed in duplicate 10 ml aliquots of plasma from each of seven patients with stroke, five patients with multiple sclerosis and five control subjects age-matched with stroke patients. Mean percentages of galactosyl ceramide for both controls (11.06 percent) and multiple sclerosis (11.40 percent) were strikingly similar. The percent of galactosyl ceramides for stroke was slightly elevated (14.32 percent) but there were no significant differences at the p=greater than 0.05 level.