scholarly journals Tracing Neurological Diseases in the Presymptomatic Phase: Insights From Neurofilament Light Chain

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Gaetani ◽  
Lucilla Parnetti ◽  
Paolo Calabresi ◽  
Massimiliano Di Filippo
Keyword(s):  
Light Chain ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Early Diagnostics ◽  
Neurofilament Light Chain ◽  
Neurofilament Light ◽  
Disease Modifying Drugs ◽  
Preclinical Phase ◽  
Clinical Onset ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Experimental Disease

The identification of neurological diseases in their presymptomatic phase will be a fundamental aim in the coming years. This step is necessary both to optimize early diagnostics and to verify the effectiveness of experimental disease modifying drugs in the early stages of diseases. Among the biomarkers that can detect neurological diseases already in their preclinical phase, neurofilament light chain (NfL) has given the most promising results. Recently, its measurement in serum has enabled the identification of neurodegeneration in diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) up to 6–10 years before the onset of symptoms. Similar results have been obtained in conditions such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), up to 2 years before clinical onset. Study of the longitudinal dynamics of serum NfL has also revealed interesting aspects of the pathophysiology of these diseases in the preclinical phase. This review sought to discuss these very recent findings on serum NfL in the presymptomatic phase of neurological diseases.

scholarly journals Neurofilament light chain: A prognostic biomarker in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Neurology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 84 (22) ◽  
pp. 2247-2257 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-H. Lu ◽  
C. Macdonald-Wallis ◽  
E. Gray ◽  
N. Pearce ◽  
A. Petzold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Light Chain ◽  
Prognostic Biomarker ◽  
Neurofilament Light Chain ◽  
Neurofilament Light ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Effect of high-caloric nutrition on serum neurofilament light chain levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (9) ◽  
pp. 1007-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Dorst ◽  
Joachim Schuster ◽  
Jens Dreyhaupt ◽  
Simon Witzel ◽  
Jochen H Weishaupt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Light Chain ◽  
Neurofilament Light Chain ◽  
Neurofilament Light ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

scholarly journals Neurofilament Light Chain and Intermediate HTT Alleles as Combined Biomarkers in Italian ALS Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assunta Ingannato ◽  
Silvia Bagnoli ◽  
Salvatore Mazzeo ◽  
Valentina Bessi ◽  
Sabrina Matà ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Chain ◽  
Age At Onset ◽  
Neurofilament Light Chain ◽  
Neurofilament Light ◽  
Entire Cohort ◽  
Bulbar Onset ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Als Patients ◽  
Intermediate Alleles ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

ObjectiveTo study the possible implication of the two biomarkers, intermediate alleles (IAs) of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene and neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in plasma, in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.MethodsWe analyzed IAs in a cohort of 106 Italian ALS patients and measured the plasma NfL levels in 20% of the patients of the cohort. We correlated the two biomarkers with clinical phenotypes.ResultsIntermediate alleles were present in 7.5% of the patients of our cohort, a frequency higher than that reported in general population. Plasma NfL levels increased with age at onset (p < 0.05). Patients with bulbar onset (BO) had higher plasma NfL concentration (CI −0.61 to −0.06, p = 0.02) and a later age at onset of the disease (CI −24.78 to −4.93, p = 0.006) with respect to the spinal onset (SO) form. Additionally, two of the patients, with IAs and plasma NfL concentration lower with respect to normal alleles’ carriers, presented an age at onset higher than the mean of the entire cohort.ConclusionAccording to our findings, plasma NfL and IAs of HTT gene may represent potential biomarkers in ALS, providing evidence of a possible implication in clinical phenotype.

scholarly journals Increased Neurofilament Light Chain Blood Levels in Neurodegenerative Neurological Diseases

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e75091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Gaiottino ◽  
Niklas Norgren ◽  
Ruth Dobson ◽  
Joanne Topping ◽  
Ahuva Nissim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Chain ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Neurofilament Light Chain ◽  
Neurofilament Light

scholarly journals Neurofilament light chain as a biomarker in neurological disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (8) ◽  
pp. 870-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Gaetani ◽  
Kaj Blennow ◽  
Paolo Calabresi ◽  
Massimiliano Di Filippo ◽  
Lucilla Parnetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Chain ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽  
Axonal Damage ◽  
Neurofilament Light Chain ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Neurofilament Light ◽  
Prognostic Assessment ◽  
Potential Applications

In the management of neurological diseases, the identification and quantification of axonal damage could allow for the improvement of diagnostic accuracy and prognostic assessment. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a neuronal cytoplasmic protein highly expressed in large calibre myelinated axons. Its levels increase in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood proportionally to the degree of axonal damage in a variety of neurological disorders, including inflammatory, neurodegenerative, traumatic and cerebrovascular diseases. New immunoassays able to detect biomarkers at ultralow levels have allowed for the measurement of NfL in blood, thus making it possible to easily and repeatedly measure NfL for monitoring diseases’ courses. Evidence that both CSF and blood NfL may serve as diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring biomarkers in neurological diseases is progressively increasing, and NfL is one of the most promising biomarkers to be used in clinical and research setting in the next future. Here we review the most important results on CSF and blood NfL and we discuss its potential applications and future directions.

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