Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2023, 167(1):30-35 | DOI: 10.5507/bp.2023.002

Pavel Hradilek1, 2, Kamila Zondra Revendova1, 2, Jana Horakova2, Radovan Bunganic1, 2, Ondrej Pelisek3, David Zeman4, Pavla Hanzlikova5, Pavlina Kusnierova6, 7 1 Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic 2 Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic 3 Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic 4 Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic 5 Department of Imaging Methods, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic 6 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic 7 Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify whether NfL and CXCL13 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations at diagnostic lumbar puncture can predict the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) in terms of relapses, higher expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity.

Methods: We conducted a single-centre prospective observational cohort study at the MS center, University Hospital Ostrava, Czech Republic. CSF NfL (cNfL) and CXCL13 concentrations were examined (ELISA method) in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) at the time of diagnostic lumbar puncture.

Results: A total of 44 patients with CIS or early RRMS were enrolled, 31 (70.5%) of whom were women. The median age at the time of CSF sampling was 31.21 years (IQR 25.43-39.32), and the follow-up period was 54.6 months (IQR 44.03-59.48). In the simple and multiple logistic regression models, CXCL13 levels did not predict relapses, MRI activity or EDSS > 2.5. Similarly, cNfL concentrations did not predict relapses or MRI activity in either model. In the multiple regression, higher cNfL levels were associated with reaching EDSS > 2.5 (odds ratio [OR] 1.002, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.000 to 1.003).

Conclusions: Our data did not confirm cNfL and/or CXCL13 CSF levels were predictive factors for disease activity such as relapses and MRI activity at the time of diagnostic lumbar puncture in patients with RRMS. While cNfL CSF levels predicted higher disability only after adjustment for other known risk factors, elevated CSF CXCL13 did not predict higher disability at all.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis, biomarkers, neurofilament light chain, CXCL13, clinical course

Hradilek, P., Revendova, K.Z., Horakova, J., Bunganic, R., Pelisek, O., Zeman, D., Hanzlikova, P., & Kusnierova, P. (2023). Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chains and CXCL13 as predictive factors for clinical course of multiple sclerosis. Biomedical Papers,167(1),30-35. doi:10.5507/bp.2023.002

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