Total-tau in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis decreases in secondary progressive stage of disease and reflects degree of brain atrophy

Abstract

IntroductionTau protein is a potential marker of neuronal damage. The aim of the study is to investigate its potential role as a marker of brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS).Materials and methodsCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples were collected from 48 patients with multiple sclerosis. Total-tau (t-tau) and phospho181Thr-tau (p-tau) concentrations were assayed with commercially available INNOTEST® hTAU Ag and INNOTEST® phospho181Thr-tau(181P) and correlated with indices of brain atrophy in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical characteristics of the study population.ResultsT-tau concentration in CSF was significantly higher in relapsing-remitting (RR) compared to secondary progressive (SP) MS patients (P = 0.01). Brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) was significantly decreased in SP patients (P = 0.002). BPF in the whole study population correlated inversely with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (r = –0.51, P = 0.0002) and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS) (r = –0.42, P = 0.002). T-tau in CSF in the whole patient group correlated inversely with EDSS (r = –0.58, P = 0.0006).ConclusionsThe results of our study suggest that total-tau concentration in CSF in a MS population decreases in the course of disease and reflects degree of parenchymal brain loss.

Science is 1% inspiration and 99% biomarkers

“…The low levels indicate completed axonal degeneration in SPMS. 84,85 In contrast, Brettschneider et al 86 and Kapaki et al 72 detected higher levels in progressive MS (PPMS and SPMS) than RRMS, suggesting continued axonal damage in progressive subtypes. Neither age nor disease duration was grossly different between the sub-populations.…”

CSF sTREM2 correlates with CSF tau in advancing Parkinson’s disease

“…Beyond PD and AD, CSF sTREM2 is also elevated in HIV-1 infection (Gisslen et al, 2019), where high levels of hyperphosphorylated tau protein have been documented (Brew et al, 2005). CSF sTREM2 concentration also is elevated in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), primary progressive MS, and other inflammatory neurological disease (OIND) subjects (Piccio et al, 2008), and these forms of MS are also associated with tau pathology (Bartosik-Psujek and Stelmasiak, 2006;Anderson et al, 2008;Anderson et al, 2010;Jaworski et al, 2012). We also found a positive association between CSF sTREM2 and Aβ concentrations across all diagnostic groups, an association previously observed in dementia patients (Henjum et al, 2018).…”

Body fluid biomarkers in multiple sclerosis: how far we have come and how they could affect the clinic now and in the future

“…The tau protein family has also been associated with MS. Several different reports showed that CSF tau levels are increased in MS patients [261,262]. Patients with RRMS had higher CSF tau levels than SPMS patients and levels of tau were found to negatively correlate with EDSS score [263]. Importantly, tau can also be detected in patient serum [263].…”

“…Patients with RRMS had higher CSF tau levels than SPMS patients and levels of tau were found to negatively correlate with EDSS score [263]. Importantly, tau can also be detected in patient serum [263]. The increase of CSF tau has been suggested to reflect axonal injury [261].…”