title: Neurofilament phosphoforms: surrogate markers for axonal injury, degeneration and loss.
abstract: This review on the role of neurofilaments as surrogate markers for axonal degeneration in neurological diseases provides a brief background to protein synthesis, assembly, function and degeneration. Methodological techniques for quantification are described and a protein nomenclature is proposed. The relevance for recognising anti-neurofilament autoantibodies is noted. Pathological implications are discussed in view of immunocytochemical, cell-culture and genetic findings. With reference to the present symposium on multiple sclerosis, the current literature on body fluid levels of neurofilaments in demyelinating disease is summarised.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. a.petzold@ion.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petzold
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms