LabMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News Expo Clinical Chem. Molecular Diagnostics Hematology Immunology Microbiology Pathology Technology Industry Focus

Neurofilament Light Considered as NIV Biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 06 May 2019
Print article
Image: Neurofilaments (red) in cultured rat brain cells (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
Image: Neurofilaments (red) in cultured rat brain cells (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
Results presented in a recently published paper suggested that plasma neurofilament light protein may serve as a noninvasive biomarker to monitor neurodegeneration in Alzheimer disease (AD).

Neurofilament light polypeptide (NfL), also known as neurofilament light chain, is a neurofilament protein that in humans is encoded by the NEFL gene. Neurofilament light chain is a biomarker that can be measured with immunoassays in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma and reflects axonal damage in a wide variety of neurological disorders. It is a useful marker for disease monitoring in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and more recently Huntington's disease.

An international team of investigators examined whether longitudinal plasma NfL levels were associated with other hallmarks of AD such as amyloid plaques and tau phosphorylation. To accomplish this task, they used data from 1583 individuals in the multicenter Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study had been conducted from September 2005 through June 2016. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they had NfL measurements. Annual plasma NfL samples were collected for up to 11 years and were analyzed in 2018.

Results revealed that of the included 1583 participants, 716 (45.2%) were women, and the mean age was 73 years; 401 had cognitive impairment, 855 had mild cognitive impairment, and 327 had AD dementia. The NfL level was increased at baseline in patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD dementia and increased in all diagnostic groups, with the greatest increase in patients with AD dementia.

The findings suggested that plasma NfL could be used as a noninvasive biomarker associated with neurodegeneration in patients with AD and could be useful to monitor effects in trials of disease-modifying drugs.

The study was published in the April 22, 2019, online addition of the journal JAMA Neurology.


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
Magnetic Bead Separation Modules
MAG and HEATMAG
Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Test
GPP-100 Anti-CCP Kit
Gold Member
Real-time PCR System
GentierX3 Series

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The 3D printed miniature ionizer is a key component of a mass spectrometer (Photo courtesy of MIT)

3D Printed Point-Of-Care Mass Spectrometer Outperforms State-Of-The-Art Models

Mass spectrometry is a precise technique for identifying the chemical components of a sample and has significant potential for monitoring chronic illness health states, such as measuring hormone levels... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The CAPILLARYS 3 DBS devices have received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance (Photo courtesy of Sebia)

Next Generation Instrument Screens for Hemoglobin Disorders in Newborns

Hemoglobinopathies, the most widespread inherited conditions globally, affect about 7% of the population as carriers, with 2.7% of newborns being born with these conditions. The spectrum of clinical manifestations... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The AI predictive model identifies the most potent cancer killing immune cells for use in immunotherapies (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

AI Predicts Tumor-Killing Cells with High Accuracy

Cellular immunotherapy involves extracting immune cells from a patient's tumor, potentially enhancing their cancer-fighting capabilities through engineering, and then expanding and reintroducing them into the body.... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The T-SPOT.TB test is now paired with the Auto-Pure 2400 liquid handling platform for accurate TB testing (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Integrated Solution Ushers New Era of Automated Tuberculosis Testing

Tuberculosis (TB) is responsible for 1.3 million deaths every year, positioning it as one of the top killers globally due to a single infectious agent. In 2022, around 10.6 million people were diagnosed... Read more