Serum Neurofilament Light Chain in Replication Factor Complex Subunit 1 CANVAS and Disease Spectrum

Biallelic intronic AAGGG repeat expansions in the replication factor complex subunit 1 (RFC1) gene were identified as the leading cause of cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy, vestibular areflexia syndrome. Patients exhibit significant clinical heterogeneity and variable disease course, but no potential biomarker has been identified to date.

In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we aimed to evaluate neurofilament light (NfL) chain serum levels in a cohort of RFC1 disease patients and to correlate NfL serum concentrations with clinical phenotype and disease severity.

Sixty-one patients with genetically confirmed RFC1 disease and 48 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled from six neurological centers. Serum NfL concentration was measured using the single molecule array assay technique.

Serum NfL concentration was significantly higher in patients with RFC1 disease compared to age- and-sex-matched HCs (P < 0.0001). NfL level showed a moderate correlation with age in both HCs (r = 0.4353, P = 0.0020) and patients (r = 0.4092, P = 0.0011). Mean NfL concentration appeared to be significantly higher in patients with cerebellar involvement compared to patients without cerebellar dysfunction (27.88 vs. 21.84 pg/mL, P = 0.0081). The association between cerebellar involvement and NfL remained significant after controlling for age and sex (β = 0.260, P = 0.034).

Serum NfL levels are significantly higher in patients with RFC1 disease compared to HCs and correlate with cerebellar involvement. Longitudinal studies are warranted to assess its change over time.