Highlights
- •Mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in MS still remain unclear.
- •Tau is currently a diagnostic biomarker of several neurodegenerative diseases.
- •Cerebrospinal fluid Tau levels at MS diagnosis possibly predict early disability.
- •Tau may reflect chronic axonal damage, which contributes to early disability.
Abstract
Introduction
Axonal loss is an important feature of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), being strongly related
to irreversible disability accumulation. Nonetheless, the exact mechanisms underlying
axonal loss remain unclear. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Tau and Beta-amyloid
(Abeta) currently represent diagnostic biomarkers in other neurodegenerative diseases.
In MS, studies on CSF Tau and Abeta provided preliminary informations on disease prognosis,
but results have not yet been replicated.
Methods
We investigated whether CSF Tau and Abeta levels could predict early disability accumulation
in MS patients. 100 patients underwent CSF analysis during their diagnostic work-up.
Demographic, clinical, radiological features and CSF were collected at baseline. MS
severity score (MSSS) and age-related MSSS (ARMSS) were calculated at last follow-up.
We performed Mann–Whitney test, Spearman's coefficient, and multiple regression analysis
for significant predictors of disability based on CSF Abeta and Tau levels, gender,
age at diagnosis and MRI characteristics at baseline.
Results
Baseline CSF Tau levels moderately correlated with MSSS (r=0.372 p=0.0001) and weakly
with ARMSS (r=0.237 p=0.0176) after a mean two years follow-up. Predictors of early
disability evaluated with MSSS and ARMSS were CSF Tau (Beta:0.258 p=0.009 and Beta:0.252
p=0.01) and spinal cord involvement (Beta:0.196 p=0.029 and Beta:0.240 p=0.008); as
well as age at MS diagnosis (Beta:0.286 p=0.001) for MSSS, and high brain lesion load
(Beta:0.207 p=0.02) for ARMSS.
Conclusion
CSF Tau levels at diagnosis possibly has a predictive value along with MRI features
and age at diagnosis. We hypothesize that Tau levels may express chronic axonal damage,
possibly contributing to early MS disability.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 28, 2021
Accepted:
August 27,
2021
Received in revised form:
August 24,
2021
Received:
July 30,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
