Serum levels of coenzyme Q10 in patients with multiple sclerosis

To elucidate whether serum coenzyme Q(10) levels are related with the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) or are a marker for the activity of the disease, we compared serum levels of coenzyme Q(10) and the coenzyme Q(10)/cholesterol ratio, in 31 patients with MS (during exacerbations) and 19 matched controls using a high performance liquid chromatography technique. The mean serum coenzyme Q(10) levels and the coenzyme Q(10)/cholesterol ratio did not differ significantly between the 2 study groups. The values did not correlate With age, age at onset, and duration of the disease. These results suggest that serum coenzyme Q(10) concentrations are unrelated with the risk for MS and are not a useful marker of activity of the disease.