title: Multiple sclerosis cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the body fluid closest to the pathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). For many candidate biomarkers CSF is the only fluid that can be investigated. Several factors need to be standardized when sampling CSF for biomarker research: time/volume of CSF collection, sample processing/storage, and the temporal relationship of sampling to clinical or MRI markers of disease activity. Assays used for biomarker detection must be validated so as to optimize the power of the studies. A formal method for establishing whether or not a particular biomarker can be used as a surrogate end-point needs to be adopted. This process is similar to that used in clinical trials, where the reporting of studies has to be done in a standardized way with sufficient detail to permit a critical review of the study and to enable others to reproduce the study design. A commitment must be made to report negative studies so as to prevent publication bias. Pre-defined consensus criteria need to be developed for MS-related prognostic biomarkers. Currently no candidate biomarker is suitable as a surrogate end-point. Bulk biomarkers of the neurodegenerative process such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilaments (NF) have advantages over intermittent inflammatory markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, UK. G.Giovannoni@ion.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovannoni
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; C044882:neurofilament protein L; C051774:neurofilament protein H