Selected Serum Biomarkers in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis-A 3-Year Prospective Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biomarker Discovery
• Multiple Sclerosis Research

Background:

• Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is characterized by unpredictable disease activity and progression.
• Identifying reliable biomarkers for predicting RRMS activity is crucial for effective patient management.
• Osteopontin, occludin, and neurofilament light chain (NFL) are potential markers of inflammation, blood-brain barrier integrity, and neurodegeneration, respectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive significance of serum osteopontin, occludin, and NFL levels in patients with RRMS.
• To determine if these markers can forecast disease activity and progression over a 36-month period.
• To correlate baseline biomarker levels with the achievement of no evidence of disease activity (NEDA).

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 150 RRMS patients.
• Baseline serum levels of NFL, occludin, and osteopontin were measured.
• Patients were monitored for 36 months to assess relapses, MRI activity, and disability progression (NEDA criteria).
• Statistical analyses compared biomarker levels between NEDA and non-NEDA groups and identified independent predictors of outcome.

Main Results:

• Patients achieving NEDA had significantly lower serum concentrations of occludin, NFL, and osteopontin compared to those without NEDA.
• Lower osteopontin levels were observed in patients on highly effective treatments versus platform therapies (p=0.03).
• NFL levels showed significant correlations with patient age (p=0.0002) and disease duration (p=0.02).

Conclusions:

• Serum NFL, osteopontin, and occludin show potential as biomarkers for predicting RRMS disease activity.
• Lower levels of these biomarkers are associated with a better disease course (NEDA).
• Further validation with larger cohorts and repeated assessments is recommended to confirm clinical utility.