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Updated: Oct 4, 2025
The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
Published on: June 30, 2014
Serum HGF and APN2 are associated with disability worsening in SPMS
Isabelle Tottenham1, Marcus Koch1, Carlos Camara-Lemarroy2
1Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic, MS, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic, MS, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Abstract:
There are no reliable biomarkers that predict disability worsening in progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We analyzed circulating biomarkers of hypoxia and angiogenesis in people with Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS) who participated in a clinical trial and were monitored prospectively for disability worsening. Concentrations of glucose transporter-1 (Glut-1), a marker of hypoxia, were higher in SPMS compared to controls. Moreover, low levels of angiopoietin-2 (APN2) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were associated with disability worsening, while neurofilament light, an emerging biomarker in MS, was not. APN2 and HGF are neurotrophic and could be both potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in SPMS.
