title: Cerebrospinal fluid light and heavy neurofilaments in neuromyelitis optica.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Axonal injury is the correlate of disease progression in NMO and MS. Neurofilament (Nf) belongs to neuron specific intermediate filaments located in axons. Nf protein subunits are potential biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for acute axonal injury. However, whether CSF NfH and NfL levels are elevated in NMO patients has remained unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nf light subunit (NfL) and Nf heavy subunit NfH in cerebrospinal fluid were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in NMO (n=32), MS (n=25), and other non-inflammatory neurological disease patients (OND, n=18).
  
  
  RESULTS
  CSF pNf-H levels were increased in the NMO patients compared with OND patients (p=0.001). CSF NfL levels in the NMO patients were also higher compared with MS patients (p=0.001), and OND patients (p=0.000001). When comparing NfL levels between MS and OND patients, there also significant differences (p=0.0003). NMO and MS patients revealed a trend to an increased disability with increased CSF NfL during relapse (NMO: p=0.006; MS: p=0.017). There is positive relationship between CSF pNf-H and disability of MS patients (p=0.041).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CSF levels of NfL are increased in NMO patients and reflect the disease severity in NMO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Electronic address: wang_whh@163.com.
authors.forename: Honghao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Conghui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Zhengqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xueqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000737:chemistry; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D016900:Neurofilament Proteins
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; Neurofilament heavy subunit; Neurofilament light subunit; Neuromyelitis optica