title: Soluble Nogo-A, an inhibitor of axonal regeneration, as a biomarker for multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  CNS axons display a poor regenerative response to injury. In multiple sclerosis (MS), failure of damaged axons to regenerate may be a major factor underlying non-reversible neurologic dysfunction. Nogo is a development-related molecule inhibiting axonal regeneration and is a major component of CNS myelin.
  
  
  METHODS
  CSF from 114 patients with remitting relapsing MS (RR-MS) and secondary progressive MS (SP-MS) and 153 controls, as well as CNS tissue from 3 patients with MS and 2 controls, were used for this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found soluble 20 kDa Nogo-A product in 96% (110/114) of CSF samples from patients with MS compared with 0/18 from meningo-encephalomyelitis, 0/125 from control subjects with other neurologic diseases, and 0/10 from CNS autoimmune diseases. Nogo-A products were present both in RR-MS and SP-MS, as well as in early cases of the disease, but not in neuromyelitis optica. The same Nogo A product was detected in CNS tissue from all patients with MS but not in control CNS tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Soluble Nogo-A may be specific for the CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis and its presence may predict failure of axonal regeneration within the CNS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lodz, 22, Kopcińskiego Street, 90-153 Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jurewicz
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matysiak
authors.forename: Cedric S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Raine
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Selmaj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D009185:Myelin Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D000070798:Nogo Proteins; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D000070798:Nogo Proteins; C000603199:RTN4 protein, human