Use of neurofilament light chain in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, the etiology of which was previously unknown. In a study published in January 2022 in the renowned scientific journal Science, the long-suspected link between infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the development of MS was convincingly demonstrated. Scientists at Harvard University studied a cohort of more than 10 million young adults on active duty in the US military, 955 of whom were diagnosed with MS during their service. The risk of MS increased 32-fold after infection with EBV. However, this was not the case after infections with the similarly transmissible cytomegalovirus or other viruses. While the role of NfL in MS has long been controversial, as its concentration is lower than in other diseases (such as ALS, frontotemporal dementia or atypical Parkinson’s disease), the present study shows a good correlation for the first time. The serum concentration of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker for neuroaxonal damage typically found in MS, only increased in patients who developed MS following EBV infection. These findings could not be explained by any other known risk factor for MS and indicate that EBV is the main cause of MS.

The biomarker NfL, which was originally mainly determined in cerebrospinal fluid, can now also be determined in serum using a highly sensitive measurement method (single molecule array, Simoa), despite very low concentrations.

Labor Berlin has introduced this technology into routine diagnostic care throughout Europe as an ISO 15189 accredited test. This enables the expansion of NfL determination after simple blood sampling in many areas of outpatient and inpatient neurological and psychiatric patient care.

For the determination of NfL in serum, please send in a 3 mL serum tube. NfL is stable for up to three days at room temperature. The determination takes place twice a week. Further information on NfL and the request document can be found on our homepage in the list of services. You can find a brochure with further information here.