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Serum neurofilament light chain and optical coherence tomography measures in MS: A longitudinal study
Eleonora Tavazzi1, Dejan Jakimovski1, Jens Kuhle1
1From the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (E.T., D.J., J.H., O.O., N.B., M.G.D., R.Z.), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York; IRCCS (N.B.), Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan, Italy; Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic (J.K., C.B., Z.M., N.L.), Departments of Medicine, Biomedicine and Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (M.R.), Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York; Novartis Pharma AG (D.T., H.K., D.L.), Basel, Switzerland; Jacobs MS Center (R.H.B.B., B.W.-G.), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Center for Biomedical Imaging at Clinical Translational Science Institute (R.Z.), University at Buffalo, State University of New York.
Objective:
To study the association between serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) and multiple optical coherence tomography (OCT) measures in patients with MS and healthy controls (HCs).
Methods:
In this prospective study, 110 patients with MS were recruited, together with 52 age- and sex-matched HCs. Clinical evaluation and spectral domain OCT and sNfL were obtained at baseline and after 5.5 years of follow-up. Nested linear mixed models were used to assess differences between MS vs HC and associations between sNfL and OCT measures. Partial correlation coefficients are reported, and p values were adjusted for the false discovery rate.
Results:
At baseline, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFLT) and macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer thickness (mGCIP) were significantly lower in MS than HC both in MS-associated optic neuritis (MSON) (p = 0.007, p = 0.001) and nonaffected MSON (n-MSON) eyes (p = 0.003, p = 0.018), along with total macular volume (TMV) in n-MSON eyes (p = 0.011). At follow-up, MS showed significantly lower pRNFLT, mGCIP, and TMV both in MSON and n-MSON eyes (p < 0.001) compared with HC. In MS n-MSON eyes, sNfL was significantly associated with baseline pRNFLT and mGCIP (q = 0.019). No significant associations were found in MSON eyes.
Conclusions:
This study confirms the ability of sNfL to detect neurodegeneration in MS and advocates for the inclusion of sNfL and OCT measures in clinical trials.
Classification Of Evidence:
This study provides Class III evidence that sNfL levels were associated with MS neurodegeneration measured by OCT.
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