| First Author | Harris VK | Year | 2013 |
| Journal | Mult Scler | Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 11 | Pages | 1462-72 |
| PubMed ID | 23439582 | Mgi Jnum | J:308284 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6728670 | Doi | 10.1177/1352458513477923 |
| Citation | Harris VK, et al. (2013) Cerebrospinal fluid fetuin-A is a biomarker of active multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler 19(11):1462-72 |
| abstractText | BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need for biomarkers in multiple sclerosis (MS) that can reliably measure ongoing disease activity relative to inflammation, neurodegeneration, and demyelination/remyelination. Fetuin-A was recently identified as a potential biomarker in MS cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Fetuin-A has diverse functions, including a role in immune pathways. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to investigate whether fetuin-A is a direct indicator of disease activity. METHODS: We measured fetuin-A in CSF and plasma of patients with MS and correlated these findings to clinical disease activity and natalizumab response. Fetuin-A expression was characterized in MS brain tissue and in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice. We also examined the pathogenic role of fetuin-A in EAE using fetuin-A-deficient mice. RESULTS: Elevated CSF fetuin-A correlated with disease activity in MS. In natalizumab-treated patients, CSF fetuin-A levels were reduced one year post-treatment, correlating with therapeutic response. Fetuin-A was markedly elevated in demyelinated lesions and in gray matter within MS brain tissue. Similarly, fetuin-A was elevated in degenerating neurons around demyelinated lesions in EAE. Fetuin-A-deficient mice demonstrated delayed onset and reduced severity of EAE symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that CSF fetuin-A is a biomarker of disease activity and natalizumab response in MS. Neuronal expression of fetuin-A suggests that fetuin-A may play a pathological role in the disease process. |
