title: Serum neurofilament light chain levels are increased in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurofilament light chain (NfL) represents a promising biomarker for axonal injury. We present the first exploratory study on serum NfL in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated serum NfL levels in 100 patients with CIS with a short conversion interval to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) (fast converters (FC), median (IQR) conversion time: 110 days (79-139)); 98 patients with non-converting CIS (non-converters (NC), follow-up: 6.5 years (5.3-7.9)); and 92 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NfL levels were higher in FC (24.1 pg/mL (13.5-51.8)) and NC (19.3 pg/mL (13.6-35.2)) than in healthy controls (7.9 pg/mL (5.6-17.2)) (OR=5.85; 95% CI 2.63 to 13.02; p = 1.5 × 10(-5) and OR = 7.03; 95% CI 2.85 to 17.34; p = 2.3 × 10(-5), respectively). When grouping FC and NC, increased serum NfL concentration was also associated with increasing numbers of T2 hyperintense MRI lesions (OR = 2.36; 95% CI 1.21 to 4.59; p = 0.011), gadolinium-enhancing lesions (OR = 2.69; 95% CI 1.13 to 6.41; p=0.026) and higher disability scores (OR = 2.54; 95% CI 1.21 to 5.31; p = 0.013) at CIS diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If replicated in future studies, serum NfL may represent a reliable and easily accessible biomarker of early axonal damage in CIS and MS.
authors.affiliation: Queen Mary University of London, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK Neurocentre of Southern Switzerland, Ospedale Civico, Lugano, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Disanto
authors.affiliation: Queen Mary University of London, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adiutori
authors.affiliation: Queen Mary University of London, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and INSPE, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and INSPE, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dalla Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tessel
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Runia
authors.affiliation: Centre of Multiple Sclerosis, City Clinical Hospital 31, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Evgeniy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Evdoshenko
authors.affiliation: Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, CNRS UMR5203, INSERM U661, Université Montpellier 1, Université Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France, and Université Montpellier and Hôpital Carémeau, Nîmes, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thouvenot
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trojano
authors.affiliation: Uman Diagnostics, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Niklas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Norgren
authors.affiliation: Neurochemistry Laboratory and Biobank, Department of Clinical Chemistry, MS Center, Neurocampus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Teunissen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kappos
authors.affiliation: Queen Mary University of London, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovannoni
authors.affiliation: Queen Mary University of London, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuhle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins
keywords: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS