New Delhi, Sep 20 || A team of researchers has identified critical biomarkers that can predict disability worsening in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) -- a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS).
The findings can potentially transform treatment strategies for millions of people suffering from MS worldwide, and will also pave the way for more personalised and effective treatment plans.
The team from Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal in Spain conducted an observational study on 725 MS patients, across 13 hospitals in Spain and Italy.
They found that high levels of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) -- a protein indicating nerve cell damage -- at the onset of MS could predict both relapse-associated worsening (RAW) and progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA).
In addition, levels of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP) -- a protein derived from astrocytes that enter the bloodstream when the central nervous system (CNS) is injured or inflamed -- correlate with PIRA in patients with low levels of sNfL. High sGFAP levels indicated more localised inflammation driven by microglia in the CNS and are also known to be associated with progression.
Dr. Enric Monreal and his team at the Hospital analysed blood samples from the 725 MS patients collected within 12 months of disease onset.