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Updated: Nov 8, 2025
Measurement of Chitinase Activity in Biological Samples
Published on: August 22, 2019
CSF chitinase 3-like 1 is associated with iron rims in patients with a first demyelinating event
Manuel Comabella1, Margareta A Clarke2, Sabine Schaedelin3
1Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Servei de Neurologia-Neuroimmunologia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Institut de Recerca Vall d'Hebron (VHIR), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Background:
Chronic active lesions with iron rims have prognostic implications in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Objective:
To assess the relationship between iron rims and levels of chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1), neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in patients with a first demyelinating event.
Methods:
Iron rims were identified using 3T susceptibility-weighted imaging. Serum NfL and GFAP levels were measured by single-molecule array assays. CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) CHI3L1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results:
Sixty-one patients were included in the study. The presence of iron rims was associated with higher T2 lesion volume and higher number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions. In univariable analysis, having ⩾2 iron rims (vs 0) was associated with increased CSF CHI3L1 levels (β = 1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10-1.79; p < 0.01) and serum NfL levels (β = 2.30; 95% CI = 1.47-3.60; p < 0.01). In multivariable analysis, however, only CSF CHI3L1 levels remained significantly associated with the presence of iron rim lesions (β = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.11-1.90; p < 0.01). The presence of ⩾2 iron rims was not associated with increased serum GFAP levels in univariable or multivariable analyses.
Conclusion:
These findings support an important contribution of activated microglia/macrophages to the pathophysiology of chronic active lesions with iron rims in patients with a first demyelinating event.
