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Diagnostic-prognostic value and electrophysiological correlates of CSF biomarkers of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

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Abstract

Neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) is currently the most accurate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in terms of both diagnostic and prognostic value, but the mechanism underlying its increase is still a matter of debate. Similarly, emerging CSF biomarkers of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation showed promising results, although further studies are needed to clarify their clinical and pathophysiological roles. In the present study we compared the diagnostic accuracy of CSF NfL, phosphorylated (p)-tau/total (t)-tau ratio, chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40) and chitotriosidase 1 (CHIT1), in healthy controls (n = 43) and subjects with ALS (n = 80) or ALS mimics (n = 46). In ALS cases, we also investigated the association between biomarker levels and clinical variables, the extent of upper motor neuron (UMN) and lower motor neuron (LMN) degeneration, and denervation activity through electromyography (EMG). ALS patients showed higher levels of CSF NfL, YKL-40, CHIT1, and lower values of p-tau/t-tau ratio compared to both controls and ALS mimics. Among all biomarkers, NfL yielded the highest diagnostic performance (> 90% sensitivity and specificity) and was the best predictor of disease progression rate and survival in ALS. NfL levels showed a significant  correlation with the extent of LMN involvement, whereas YKL-40 levels increased together with the number of areas showing both UMN and LMN damage. EMG denervation activity did not correlate with any CSF biomarker change. These findings confirm the highest value of NfL among currently available CSF biomarkers for the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of ALS and contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiological and electrophysiological correlates of biomarker changes.

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Acknowledgements

This article is in memory of Valeriano Fantin, a strong man called away by this terrible disease. This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health (“Ricerca Corrente”). BoReALS group: I. Bartolomei, R. Plasmati, F. Pastorelli, C. C. Quarta, V. Reale, V. Mariano, D. Milletti, R. Nasca, F. Rizzi, A. Cherici, D. Rusolo, L. Valeriani, F. Anzolin, E. Fantoni, A. Fiorito, L. Andrini, P. Avoni, V. A. Donadio, S. Capellari, S. de Pasqua, G. Rizzo, V. Vacchiano, E. Fileccia, L. Morandi, F. Marliani, L. Albini-Riccioli, P. Parchi, M. P. Foschini, A. Pession, S. Battaglia, R. Poda, D. Valenti, S. Asioli, L. Vignatelli, F. Oppi, M. Stanzani-Maserati, A. Bartoletti-Stella, C. Colombo, S. Maselli, M.P. Giannoccaro, M. Moresco, F. Salvi, R. Liguori.

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Author notes

  1. Samir Abu-Rumeileh and Veria Vacchiano contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, 40139, Bologna, Italy

    Samir Abu-Rumeileh, Veria Vacchiano, Silvia de Pasqua, Enrico Fileccia, Sabina Capellari & Rocco Liguori

  2. IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche Di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, 40139, Bologna, Italy

    Corrado Zenesini, Barbara Polischi, Angela Mammana, Vitantonio Di Stasi, Sabina Capellari, Fabrizio Salvi, Rocco Liguori & Piero Parchi

  3. Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138, Bologna, Italy

    Piero Parchi

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  1. Samir Abu-Rumeileh
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Consortia

BoReALS

  • Ilaria Bartolomei
  • , Rosaria Plasmati
  • , Francesca Pastorelli
  • , Cecilia Celidea Quarta
  • , Vincenzo Reale
  • , Vincenza Mariano
  • , David Milletti
  • , Raffaella Nasca
  • , Francesca Rizzi
  • , Arianna Cherici
  • , Diletta Rusolo
  • , Luca Valeriani
  • , Francesca Anzolin
  • , Elisabetta Fantoni
  • , Alessia Fiorito
  • , Luciana Andrini
  • , Patrizia Avoni
  • , Vincenzo Donadio
  • , Sabina Capellari
  • , Silvia de Pasqua
  • , Giovanni Rizzo
  • , Veria Vacchiano
  • , Enrico Fileccia
  • , Luca Morandi
  • , Federica Marliani
  • , Luca Albini-Riccioli
  • , Piero Parchi
  • , Maria Pia Foschini
  • , Annalisa Pession
  • , Stella Battaglia
  • , Roberto Poda
  • , Danila Valenti
  • , Sofia Asioli
  • , Luca Vignatelli
  • , Federico Oppi
  • , Michelangelo Stanzani-Maserati
  • , Anna Bartoletti-Stella
  • , Carolina Colombo
  • , Serena Maselli
  • , Maria Pia Giannoccaro
  • , Monica Moresco
  • , Fabrizio Salvi
  •  & Rocco Liguori

Contributions

Conceptualization: SAR, VV, RL and PP; Methodology acquisition and analysis of data: all authors; Writing-original draft preparation: SAR, VV, RL and PP; Writing-review and editing: PP based on the critical revision of all authors; Supervision: PP.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Piero Parchi.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standard

The study was conducted according to the revised Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice guidelines and approved by the “Area Vasta Emilia Centro” ethics committee. Informed consent was given by study participants or the next of kin.

Additional information

The members of the BoReALS group are listed in the Acknowledgements.

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Abu-Rumeileh, S., Vacchiano, V., Zenesini, C. et al. Diagnostic-prognostic value and electrophysiological correlates of CSF biomarkers of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 267, 1699–1708 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-020-09761-z

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