Evaluation of Inflammatory and Axonal Damage Biomarkers in Early-Stage Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Prospective Study
Project no. 22556 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2021
Summary
<p>Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative processes, often affecting young individuals and leading to functional impairment if left untreated. Alongside inflammation, axonal degeneration can accompany the disease from its early stages. The crucial role of B cells in inflammation in both peripheral blood and the central nervous system in MS has become increasingly evident in recent years.</p><p>This study encompasses newly diagnosed MS patients under follow-up at the Neurology Clinic of Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, as well as patients without neurological diseases scheduled for surgery under spinal anesthesia. The research aims to measure B cell-associated inflammation (CXCL13 chemokine C-X-C motif-ligand 13) and axonal damage biomarker (Neurofilament light chain NfL) levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the included patient and control groups at the Medical Physiology Laboratory of Ege University.</p><p>The levels of CXCL13 and NfL in serum or CSF samples collected at the time of diagnosis will be compared between MS patients and the control group without neurological diseases. The relationship between these levels and disease severity, disease activity, and demographic characteristics at the time of diagnosis will be assessed. Additionally, the study will investigate whether the levels of these biomarkers at the time of diagnosis correlate with disease activity, severity, and disability degrees during regular follow-ups over a period of 2 years, aiming to determine their potential prognostic roles.</p><p>At the conclusion of this study, insights into the processes accompanying the pathogenesis of MS in its early stages and their clinical implications will be gained. Furthermore, efforts will be made to determine the short-term prognostic roles of the investigated biomarkers.</p>