Spectral signature of multiple sclerosis. Preliminary studies of blood fraction by ATR FTIR technique

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, neurodegenerative disease of central nervous system, characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and gliosis. It is commonly known the rapid and accurate diagnosis of MS determines treatment success. The standard diagnosis contains clinical symptoms observation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of central nervous system (CNS), and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Nonetheless, since CSF sampling is considered invasive and not all individuals are eligible for MRI we have decided to propose other diagnostic tool such as spectroscopy. Unlike lumbar puncture, blood collection is a routine procedure regarded as low-invasive; therefore, we used Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. This technique was combined with chemometrics and detailed spectral assay to analyse blood plasma and serum samples collected from MS patients and healthy individuals. The results revealed a clear identification pattern of MS, suggesting the conformation changes of amide III collagen-like proteins in plasma and the dominance of amide I β-sheet structures. Those changes in serum spectra seem to be useful for sample differentiation.

Keywords: ATR FTIR; Chemometrics; Multiple sclerosis; Plasma; Serum.