This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Lim, E T Articles by Giovannoni, G Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lim, E T Articles by Giovannoni, G Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Acute axonal damage predicts clinical outcome in patients with multiple sclerosis

Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK, e.lim{at}ion.ucl.ac.uk

F Sellebjerg

Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Copenhagen, DK-2600, Denmark

C V Jensen

Danish Research Centre of Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, DK-2650, Denmark

D R Altmann

Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK, Medical Statistics Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK

D Grant

Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK

G Keir

Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK

E J Thompson

Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK

G Giovannoni

Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK

The objectives of this study were (1) to determine how cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament heavy chain (NfH^SMI34 and NfH^SMI35) levels relate to clinical outcome in optic neuritis (ON) and multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse patients treated with high dose oral methylprednisolone; and (2) to correlate neurofilament and myelin basic protein (MBP) concentrations, particularly as the latter was previously associated with clinical disability. Fifty subjects participated in two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Eight/18 patients in the ON trial and 15/32 subjects in the MS attack trial were treated with oral methylprednisolone. In the MS attack trial group, CSF NfH^SMI34 and NfH^SMI35 measured at week 3 and DCSF NfH^SMI34 levels from baseline to week 3 were predictive of clinical outcome at week 8 and 52. In the ON group, no such association was seen. When both groups were combined, baseline CSF NfH^SMI34 and NfH^SMI35 correlated positively with baseline enhancing lesion volume (ELV) (r_s=0.50, p<0.01 and r_s=0.53, p<0.01, respectively). Levels of NfH^SMI35 at baseline and week 3 also strongly correlated with the MBP concentration. This study supports the view that acute inflammation in ON and MS results in axonal pathology and that the latter has a role in determining functional impairment.

Key Words: methylprednisolone • multiple sclerosis • myelin basic • neurofilament heavy chain • proteinoptic neuritis

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 11, No. 5, 532-536 (2005)
DOI: 10.1191/1352458505ms1218oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				X. Qi, A. S. Lewin, L. Sun, W. W. Hauswirth, and J. Guy Suppression of Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Provides Long-term Neuroprotection in Experimental Optic Neuritis Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., February 1, 2007; 48(2): 681 - 691. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]