Identification of serum protein biomarkers in individuals with Niemann-Pick disease, type C1

Niemann-Pick disease, type C1 (NPC1), is a rare, fatal, neurodegenerative lysosomal disorder caused by pathological variants in NPC1. Defects in lysosomal cholesterol transport result in the accumulation of unesterified cholesterol within the endo-lysosomal compartments. Delayed diagnosis, limited treatment options, and phenotypic heterogeneity characterized by a broad range of signs/symptoms underscore the urgent need for effective biomarkers to facilitate diagnosis, monitor disease progression and assess therapeutic response. The goal of this study was to identify serum protein biomarkers for NPC1.

Proximal Extension Assays (PEA) were used to determine relative protein expression levels from 68 serum samples from NPC1 individuals and 20 age-appropriate control serum samples. Statistical models identified NPC1 disease-specific effects after adjusting for covariates. Selected proteins were orthogonally validated by ELISA and correlated with assessments of both disease severity (Age of Neurological Onset (ANO) and Annual Severity Increment Score (ASIS)) and disease burden (NPC Neurological Severity Score (NSS).

Quantifiable data was obtained on 2888 proteins, revealing 186 increased (adjusted log₂FC ≥ 1) and 286 decreased (adjusted log₂FC ≤ -1) proteins with adj. p-value < 0.1 when comparing NPC1 individuals not being treated with miglustat versus control serum samples. Using orthogonal assays, we confirmed significant elevations for seven proteins: TREM2, AgRP, CCL18, Cathepsin L, GPNMB, NPY, and HSD17B14, and a significant decrease of BDNF. We further identified 100 proteins whose abundance levels were significantly altered towards normal by miglustat treatment. We found the 17-domain NPC NSS to be correlated with protein levels in the PEA data. Orthogonally validated data correlated with the age of neurological onset. We also identified 25 differentially abundant serum proteins in NPC1 baseline samples which are predominantly expressed in brain regions.

The statistical analysis pipeline developed in this study is flexible and scalable and supports application to high-dimensional proteomic datasets. This study identified and validated serum proteins with altered expression in individuals with NPC1, responded to miglustat therapy, and correlated with disease severity or burden. These proteins may have clinical utility as biomarkers and provide insights into cellular mechanisms contributing to NPC1 disease pathology.

NCT00344331 (Registration on 2006-06-23).