title: Diagnostic biomarkers in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS and comprises a heterogeneous spectrum of disease subtypes. The distinctive variability of clinical presentations, histopathologic and immunologic patterns, as well as neuroradiologic phenotypes in MS poses a diagnostic challenge to the attending physician and claims a more differentiated typing of MS patients by diagnostic biomarkers in order to anticipate the expected disease course and to stratify patients for specifically tailored therapies. In this paper, the major biomarkers presently recommended in the diagnosis of MS are reviewed, including magnetic resonance imaging, the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid parameters and the diagnostic relevance of antibodies to aquaporin-4 water channels and myelin antigens.
authors.affiliation: Innsbruck Medical University, Clinical Department of Neurology, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria +43 512/504 24363 ; +43 512/504 24266 ; markus.reindl@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuenz
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Deisenhammer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reindl