Soluble Nogo-A, an inhibitor of axonal regeneration, as a biomarker for multiple sclerosis.
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.
Jurewicz
Anna
A
Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lodz, 22, Kopcińskiego Street, 90-153 Lodz, Poland.
Matysiak
Mariola
M
Raine
Cedric S
CS
Selmaj
Krzysztof
K
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
D015415:Biomarkers; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D000070798:Nogo Proteins; C000603199:RTN4 protein, human