Cholesteryl Esters in Apparently Normal White Matter in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

The content and composition of cholesteryl esters in the apparently normal cerebral white matter of multiple sclerosis (MS) were investigated. In spite of only negligibly increased contents, the MS cases showed significantly altered cholesteryl ester composition, i. e. decreased proportions of saturated and monounsaturated cholesteryl esters and increased proportions of the polyunsaturated ones. It is concluded that this abnormality might be explained by the presence of small demyelinating lesions escaped identification during isolation of the apparently normal white matter.