Can Selected Parameters of Brain Injury Reflect Neuronal Damage in Smoldering Multiple Sclerosis?
Natalia Niedziela,
Maria Nowak-Kiczmer,
Lina Malciene,
Mariusz Stasiołek,
Jolanta Zalejska-Fiolka,
Zenon P. Czuba,
Jacek T. Niedziela,
Jarosław Szczygieł,
Michał Lubczyński,
Monika Adamczyk-Sowa
Affiliations
Natalia Niedziela
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Maria Nowak-Kiczmer
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Lina Malciene
Klaipeda University Hospital, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
Mariusz Stasiołek
Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lodz, Ul. Kopcińskiego 22, 90-419 Łódź, Poland
Jolanta Zalejska-Fiolka
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul, Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland
Zenon P. Czuba
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland
Jacek T. Niedziela
3rd Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Silesian Centre for Heart Disease, Ul. M.C. Sklodowskiej 9, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Jarosław Szczygieł
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Michał Lubczyński
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Monika Adamczyk-Sowa
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Background: Inflammatory demyelination and impaired recovery processes result in permanent neurodegeneration and neurological disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In terms of smoldering MS, chronic neuroinflammation develops in the early period of the disease and leads to confirmed disability accumulation. There is a great need to identify biomarkers of neurodegeneration and disease progression. Methods: A single-center prospective observational study was performed. The median age of the patients was 40 (31–52) years. Women comprised 64% of the study population. We evaluated the concentrations of the parameters of brain injury (NF-H, GFAP, S100B and UCHL1) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the selected interleukins (ILs) in serum of 123 relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) and 88 progressive MS (PMS) patients. Results: The levels of GFAP, S100B and UCHL were higher in the PMS group than the RRMS group, in contrast to the levels of NF-H. We observed a positive correlation between the selected pro-inflammatory cytokines and the parameters of brain injury. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score increased with GFAP and NF-H levels and was correlated with the selected ILs. The concentrations of S100B, UCHL1 and NF-H reflected the duration of MS symptoms. Conclusions: The levels of brain injury parameters in the CSF and the selected serum ILs in MS patients seem to be promising biomarkers to determine neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in smoldering MS. Further studies are warranted in this respect.
