Cerebrospinal fluid proteome comparison between multiple sclerosis patients and controls

The aim of the present study was to identify proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with different abundance between patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and controls. Such proteins may be diagnostic biomarkers and contribute with novel information about the disease pathogenesis.

Cerebrospinal fluid from patients with RRMS (n = 17) and controls (n = 17) were trypsin digested and analyzed in a label-free fashion using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The resulting data were analyzed using SearchGUI, PeptideShaker, and the Progenesis software.

Two hundred and ninety-one proteins were identified, of which 32 were significantly differentially abundant between the patients with RRMS and controls (P-value ≤ 0.05, two or more peptides quantified). Among these were proteins which previously have been linked to MS, including immunoglobulin subunits, vitamin D-binding protein, apolipoprotein D, kallikrein-6, neuronal pentraxin receptor, Dickkopf-related protein 3, and contactin-1.

The study provides an overview of differentially abundant proteins between RRMS and controls, and a few of these are further discussed. It should be stressed that a larger verification study is needed to reveal the potential value of these proteins as biomarkers for RRMS and their involvement in the disease pathogenesis.