Dados do Trabalho

Título

NEUROFILAMENT LIGHT CHAIN LEVELS AS BIOMARKER OF SEVERITY ACCORDING TO THE PRESENCE OF ANTI-AQP-4 IN NEUROMYELITIS SPECTRUM DISORDER PATIENTS

Resumo

Neuromyelitis Optic Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) is a severe Central Nervous System (CNS) inflammatory and autoimmune disease, preferentially affecting the spinal cord and optic nerves. Advances in diagnostic criteria have allowed greater diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and the inclusion of patients without antiaquaporin-4 antibody (AQP-4 ab). Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is an important biomarker of neurological damage in a wide spectrum of neurological diseases . NfL levels may contribute to evaluate disease severity. Here, we analised samples from a coorte of 59 follow-up NMOSD patients in treatment at HUCFF Demyelinating Diseases outpatient Clinic. All these patients match the 2015 diagnostic criteria for NMOSD, and they underwent anamnesis, laboratory tests and neuroimaging. They were divided into 2 groups: anti-AQP4 positive and anti-AQP4 negative. This anti-aquaporine-4 status was achieved by CBA (Cell-Based Assay), prior to the beginning of NfL tests. To evaluate the neuronflammation targeting NfL as biomarker, we collected blood samples by venipuncture in EDTA tubes and plasma was isolated. Furthermore, we used the NfL kit for SIMOA (Single Molecule Array), an ultrasensitive immunoassay, for detecting e quantifying this neurological biomarker in plasma. We observed that the proportion of patients with positive anti-AQP4+ (65.7%) was higher than negative ones (34,21%). Also, during relapse NMOSD, they presented an increase in NfL levels when compared to non-relapse patients and healthy controls (p< 0.001). Independently of relapse moment, AQP-4 ab (+) patients present significant higher level of NfL compared with AQP-4 ab (-) (p <0,05).. NfL high level may represent not only a biomarker of active disease, but also an important biomarker for a more severe and neurodegenerative course in AQP-4 ab (+) patients.

Palavras Chave

Neuromyelitis Optic Spectrum Disorder, antiaquaporin-4 antibody, Neurofilamento light chain, SIMOA