Serum neurofilament light chain is increased in hereditary spastic paraplegias

Carlo Wilke; Tim W Rattay; Holger Hengel; Milan Zimmermann; Kathrin Brockmann; Ludger Schöls; Jens Kuhle; Rebecca Schüle; Matthis Synofzik

doi:10.1002/acn3.583

Serum neurofilament light chain is increased in hereditary spastic paraplegias

Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2018 May 21;5(7):876-882. doi: 10.1002/acn3.583. eCollection 2018 Jul.

Authors

Carlo Wilke^{1

2}, Tim W Rattay^{1

2}, Holger Hengel^{1

2}, Milan Zimmermann^{1

2}, Kathrin Brockmann^{1

2}, Ludger Schöls^{1

2}, Jens Kuhle³, Rebecca Schüle^{1

2}, Matthis Synofzik^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center of Neurology University of Tübingen Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3 72076 Tübingen Germany.
² German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Tübingen Germany.
³ Departments of Medicine, Biomedicine and Clinical Research Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic University Hospital Basel University of Basel Basel Switzerland.

Abstract

Blood biomarkers are still largely missing in hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs). We here explored Neurofilament light chain (NfL) as a biomarker in HSP. Serum NfL was assessed in 96 HSP (63 genetically confirmed), 96 healthy control, and 33 ALS subjects by single molecule array (Simoa). Compared to controls, NfL was increased in HSP (P < 0.001), correlating with cross-sectional disease progression (ρ = 0.28). Levels were lower than in ALS (P < 0.001), allowing to differentiate HSP from ALS (AUC = 0.91). Serum NfL might serve as a biomarker in HSP indicating neuronal damage and, if confirmed longitudinally, disease progression. It might also support differentiating HSP from ALS.

Abstract

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