Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) up-regulation in the cerebrospinal fluid of newborns with myelomeningocele

BACKGROUND: Neurotrophic factors, such as Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), play a key role in the stimulation of sprouting, synaptic plasticity, and reorganization after spinal cord damage. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of newborns with myelomeningocele (MMC) and to determine its correlation with this spinal malformation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To measure the expression of NGF, we collected CSF samples of 14 newborns with MMC taken immediately before the neurosurgical correction of the spinal malformation and of 14 matched controls. Endogenous NGF levels were quantified using a two-site immuno-enzymatic assay. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney two-tailed two-sample test. RESULTS: In the CSF of patients with MMC, NGF levels showed a significant increase compared to the mean levels of the control group (63.05 ± 7.3 vs 18.32 ± 4.5 pg/mL; (p < 0.001). No correlation was found between NGF expression and different types of MMC malformation, such as the level of spinal lesion and the association with Chiari II syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows an over-expression of NGF in the CSF of newborns with MMC. The observed pattern of NGF up-regulation in this subset of patients may stimulate axonal sprouting and synaptic reorganization of the damaged neural cells at the site of spinal cord injury, thereby representing an important biochemical marker of spinal cord damage in MMC patients.