CCN2 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Spinal cord tissue analysis of ALS patients has revealed elevated dendritic cell marker transcripts (like CD83) and monocytic/macrophage/microglial transcripts [56], expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) [57], connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) [58], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1) [56] and VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-1 [59], and activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) accompanied by reduced levels of glutamate and aspartate [60].