closer to an urine test

[frodo]

https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/433516/

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation is a marker of ill health and has prognostic implications in multiple health settings. Urinary neopterin is an excellent candidate as a non-specific marker of systemic inflammation. Expression as urinary neopterin-to-creatinine ratio (UNCR) normalizes for urinary hydration status. Major attractions include: (1) urine versus blood sampling, (2) integration of inflammation over a longer period compared to serum sampling, (3) high stability of neopterin and creatinine.

METHODS: A high-throughput ultra performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry method was developed to measure neopterin and creatinine together from the same urine sample. The assay was applied in several clinical scenarios: healthy controls, symptomatic infections and multiple sclerosis. Area-under-the-curve was compared between weekly and monthly sampling scenarios. Analysis of a single pooled sample was compared with averaging results from analysis of individual samples.

RESULTS: The assay has excellent intra-assay and inter-assay precision, linearity of dilution and spike-and-recovery. Higher UNCR was demonstrated in females versus males, older age, inflammatory disease (multiple sclerosis) and symptomatic infections. In healthy controls, fluctuations in inflammatory state also occurred in the absence of symptomatic infection or other inflammatory triggers. Analysis of a single pooled sample facilitates weekly urine sampling to integrate inflammatory activity over time.

CONCLUSIONS: UNCR is a useful biomarker of systemic inflammation. The method presented offer simplicity, speed, robustness, reproducibility, efficiency and proven utility in clinical scenarios. UNCR fluctuations underline the importance of longitudinal monitoring, versus a single time point, to capture a more representative estimate of an individual’s inflammatory state over time.

[NHE]

This is interesting. Neopterin is upregulated by interferon-beta. It's in the Avonex prescribing information.

https://www.avonex.com/content/dam/comm ... mation.pdf

Does this mean the Ifn-B DMDs are increasing inflammation?

[frodo]

Maybe it is related. It would be nice to have an update, but the problem with this kind of papers is that they are easily forgotten