blood

High Lipid Levels Associated with Increased Disability, Inflammation in RRMS Patients, Study Shows

High levels of certain lipids, or fat, in the blood are linked to increased disability scores and high levels of pro-inflammatory markers inĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, a small study reports. The study, ā€œLipoprotein markers associated with disability from multiple sclerosis,ā€ was published in the journal Scientific…

Higher Levels of Neurofilament Light Chain in Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Found in MS Patients, Supporting its Prognostic Potential

A meta-analysis of 13 case-control studies shows that the levels of the protein neurofilament light chain (NFL) are significantly higher in both the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, compared to healthy controls. This findingĀ adds to previous evidence supporting the usefulness of NFL as a…

MS Patients’ High Osteopontin Protein Levels Make It a Potential Biomarker for the Disorder, Study Reports

Multiple sclerosis patients have high levels of a protein called osteopontin in their cerebrospinal fluid and blood, making it a potential tool for diagnosing the disease and predicting its course, a study suggests. The research, ā€œOsteopontin (OPN) as a CSF and blood biomarker for multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis,ā€ was published in the journal PLOS One. Researchers wanted to know if levels of osteopontin inĀ cerebrospinal fluid and bloodĀ could be a reliable biomarker for MS. To arrive at answer, they ā€œconducted a systematic review and meta-analysis" of studies that had measured the protein's levels in cerebrospinal fluid and blood "in MS patients and controls." The team searched for studies in three databases ā€” PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Out of 27 that met their criteria, they used 22 in the meta-analysis. All four types of MS were represented in the studies ā€” clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting MS, secondary progressive MS, and primary progressive MS. There were three types of controls in the articlesĀ ā€” healthy people, people with non-inflammatory neurological disorders, and people with inflammatory neurological disorders. Researchers' first observation was that all of the MS patients had higher levels of osteopontin than controls. The protein's levels were significantly higher in relapsing-remitting MS patients than in those with clinically isolated syndrome, the group with the lowest osteopontin levels. Levels were similar in the other types of MS. Patients with an active disease had significantly higher levels of the protein in their cerebrospinal fluid than those with a stable disease. The results supported previous studies' findings that osteopontin levels are higher than normal in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of MS patients, strengthening the notion that it could be used as a biomarker for MS. ā€œGiven the fact that OPN [osteopontin] levels are higher during relapses, we think that by monitoring this biomarker, Ā we might be able to predict the disease course," the team wrote. "We propose that developing drugs modulating OPN concentration may be a new treatment strategy for MS."

University of Huddersfield Team Develops Blood Test for Diagnosing MS

University of HuddersfieldĀ researchers have developed a blood test for diagnosingĀ multiple sclerosis that avoids the invasive, painful process of collecting fluid from the brain and spine. The team at the British discussed the test in an article titled ā€œSphingosine and dihydrosphingosine as biomarkers for multiple sclerosis identified by…

Blood Biomarkers of Multiple Sclerosis May Predict a Person’s Response to Treatment

Blood biomarkers in individual multiple sclerosisĀ patientsĀ mayĀ help clinicians determine which treatments would be ofĀ mostĀ benefit to that person, according to researchersĀ atĀ Oklahoma Medical Research FoundationĀ (OMRF). The study, published in the journalĀ Neurology, Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, isĀ titled “Cytokine profiles show heterogeneity of interferon-Ī² response in multiple sclerosis patients.”…

Amarantus Releases Preliminary Data From Blood-Based MS Diagnostic

Amarantus BioScienceĀ has released preliminary data from a blood test for multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā called theĀ MSPrecise diagnostic. The company believes that the test could lead to more accurate diagnoses of MSĀ early in the disease’s progression. MSPrecise is a DNA sequencing test designed to identify specific DNA mutations that are associated with the…