Serum neurofilament light chain

Abstract

ObjectiveTo explore the hypothesis that serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) indicative of neuroaxonal damage may improve precise disease profiling with regard to cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms, we analyzed potential associations of sNfL levels with cognitive test scores, fatigue, depression, and anxiety.MethodsPatients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) underwent an elaborated assessment including MRI, various cognitive tests, and patient-reported outcomes. We determined sNfL levels by single molecule array (Simoa) assay. Relationships between sNfL, cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and demographical data were analyzed using correlations, group comparisons, and regressions.ResultsIn 45 clinically stable patients with MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale = 2.73 ± 1.12, disease duration = 10.03 ± 7.49 years), 40.0% were cognitively impaired. Mean sNfL levels were 16.02 ± 10.39 pg/mL, with higher levels in the SPMS subgroup (p = 0.038). sNfL levels did reliably link neither with the investigated cognitive and affective parameters nor with fatigue levels. The only relationship found in a small subgroup of patients with SPMS (n = 7) with visuospatial learning (r = −0.950, p = 0.001) and memory (r = −0.813; p = 0.026) disappeared when further controlling for age, educational level, and sex.ConclusionsIn patients with stable MS at less advanced disease stages, sNfL did not convincingly relate to cognitive performance, fatigue, depression, or anxiety and thus may not serve as a surrogate biomarker for neuropsychological status in such populations.

miR-150-5p and let-7b-5p in Blood Myeloid Extracellular Vesicles Track Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

“…Overall, our findings suggest that miRNA dysregulation might be attributable to cognitive deficits rather than MS progression. In fact, no differences in the miRNA levels were observed in IB4-positive EVs from PMS compared to RRMS patients, and no direct correlation was found between miRNAs levels in CI patients and sNf-L serum concentration, a proposed predictor of poor clinical outcome in MS [64], whose role in tracking cognitive deficit in MS is still controversial [65][66][67][68]. However, higher miR150-5p levels directly correlated with sNf-L levels in the overall Italian cohort as well as in the Amsterdam MS Center cohort, implying a role of the miRNA in process.…”

The Evolution of Neurofilament Light Chain in Multiple Sclerosis

“…The association of NfL and non-motor symptoms of MS (e.g., cognition, psychological disorders, and fatigue) has been examined. While some studies reported a significant inverse association between NFL levels and cognitive function ( Tortorella et al, 2015 ; Gaetani et al, 2019c ) and long-term fatigue ( Chitnis et al, 2018 ), others did not find any association ( Håkansson et al, 2019 ; Aktas et al, 2020 ). Cognitive symptoms and fatigue in MS are strongly associated with sleep quality, depression, DMT, disease duration and severity, and lesion localization ( Rocca et al, 2014 ; Berard et al, 2019 ; Palotai et al, 2019 ).…”

The Role of Tau beyond Alzheimer’s Disease: A Narrative Review

“…Still, no specific soluble biomarkers are available for CI in MS, unlike other neurodegenerative diseases. Few studies focused on axonal damage and CI biomarkers in MS, mainly NfL, with conflicting results [16,45,46]; only one study described a correlation between CSF Aβ levels and CI [37]. In contrast, recently, Virgilio et al observed, in 62 patients, a correlation between CSF t-Tau and information processing speed and global cognition, whereas NfL and Aβ could not discriminate CI patients [36].…”