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Age- and disease-specific reference values for neurofilament light presented in an online interactive support
Lisa Vermunt1,2, Marco Otte3, Inge M W Verberk1
1Neurochemistry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology
|October 5, 2022
Summary
Interpreting Neurofilament Light chain (NfL) levels is challenging. This study introduces an interactive tool to provide age- and disease-specific reference values for clinicians, aiding neurological biomarker interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomarker Development
- Clinical Interpretation
Background:
- Neurofilament Light chain (NfL) is a key biomarker for axonal damage.
- Current interpretation of NfL concentrations is hindered by a lack of age- and disease-specific reference values.
- Accurate NfL interpretation is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an interactive interface for interpreting Neurofilament Light chain (NfL) concentrations in human body fluids.
- To provide clinicians with age- and disease-specific reference values for NfL.
- To facilitate the interpretation of NfL results in neurological conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized NfL values from 1698 neurologically healthy individuals (aged 19-85 years) and patients with MS and dementias.
- Employed percentile regression to estimate NfL values specific to diagnosis and age.
- Developed an interactive web-based interface to visualize these estimates and provide background information.
Main Results:
- Established percentile regression estimates for NfL concentrations across different age groups and neurological conditions.
- The interactive interface successfully visualizes these reference values.
- The tool offers background information on NfL and its clinical relevance.
Conclusions:
- The developed interactive interface provides essential reference values for interpreting individual patient NfL results.
- This tool supports clinicians in the diagnosis and management of neurological disorders.
- The adaptable method can be applied to other age-dependent biomarkers in neurology.
