title: Total-tau in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis decreases in secondary progressive stage of disease and reflects degree of brain atrophy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tau 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).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples were collected from 48 patients with multiple sclerosis. Total-tau (t-tau) and phospho(181Thr)-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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  T-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).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland. jjawor@onet.eu
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaworski
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Psujek
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janczarek
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szczerbo-Trojanowska
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bartosik-Psujek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D016875:tau Proteins