Brain and Behavior | February 22, 2021

Hayashi T, Nukui T, Piao JL, Sugimoto T, Anada R, Matsuda N, Yamamoto M, Konishi H, Dougu N and Nakatsuji Y

Brain Behav. 2021:e02084

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2084

Abstract

Objectives

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels have been suggested as reflecting axonal damage in various inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders, including acquired peripheral neuropathies. We aimed to investigate if serum NfL (sNfL) levels can be a biomarker of disease activity and treatment response in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).

Materials and methods

The sNfL levels of eleven newly diagnosed patients with CIDP were retrospectively assayed and compared with seven healthy volunteers. The levels were assayed before and after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in patients with CIDP and were also assayed in the remission period.

Results

Baseline sNfL levels in patients with CIDP before treatment were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. The levels significantly decreased overtime after one month of treatment and in remission period. There were significant negative correlations between the sNfL levels and the disease duration (the interval between the onset of the disease and the time of sampling), and weak correlations between the sNfL levels and overall neuropathy limitations scale.

Conclusions

sNfL may be a potential biomarker reflecting the disease activity in patients with CIDP.

This study was performed using the Quanterix HD-1 Analyzer.