Neurofilament light chains (NFL)

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In the search of a body fluid biomarker for MS, currently the main candidate are neurofilament light chains (NFL). They are short pieces of neurons that enter the CSF and the blood stream when neurons are killed. Therefore they are under study as a biomarker of neuronal damage.

They are not specific of MS and they appear in any disease that affects the CNS, but once MS is diagnosed, they can be used to monitor its evolution and the response to disease modifying therapies (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10. ... 8517715132). They can be combined with N-acetyl-aspartate to show more specificity (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19365053)

They increase at the same time in CSF and blood. Therefore, though CSF measures are more accurate, a blood test would be enough to get a diagnosis. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 24954/full)

Last article about them is that they can be used to track the gray matter evolution

Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light levels mark grey matter volume in clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10. ... 8517711774

Conclusion: CSF NF-L tracks mainly grey matter damage in patients with CIS suggestive of MS.