Prognostic Value of Serum Neurofilaments in Patients with Clinically Isolated Syndromes

Neurofilament light chains (NfL) are protein components of the neuron structure that are released in the extracellular space subsequent to neuronal damage. Previous studies have shown that NfL concentrations are high in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and multiple sclerosis (MS), and that NfL might act as a biomarker for conversion from CIS to MS. Indeed, measuring this structural protein in serum at the first demyelinating clinical episode of patients may make NfL an ideal biomarker for assessing prognosis. From this idea, Dalla Costa et al. (1) evaluated serum NfL concentrations in patients with CIS in addition to CSF, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and clinical data, and analyzed the prognostic value of serum NfL in conversion from CIS to MS in their study “Prognostic value of serum neurofilaments in patients with clinically isolated syndromes” published in “Neurology”.