201 and 202 studies use neurofilament light measures, not from plasma but from spinal fluid. This study below was done on the PD population. Corresponding data in the MSA population will be produced in these 201 and 202 studies. The value of measuring NfL will be clearer in the 201 study when we have a placebo group for comparison. The few 6 months results we have today are not enough to see the value of NfL in patients having symptoms over 4 years. In the PD population, NfL seems to have prognostic value, however.

J Neurol

. 2024 Sep 9.

doi: 10.1007/s00415-024-12669-7. Online ahead of print.

Plasma NfL, GFAP, amyloid, and p-tau species as Prognostic biomarkers in Parkinson's disease

Andrea Pilotto ^{# 1 2 3}, Nicholas J Ashton ^{# 4 5 6 7}, Alessandro Lupini ^{# 8}, Beatrice Battaglio ⁸, Cinzia Zatti ⁸, Chiara Trasciatti ^{8 9 10}, Stefano Gipponi ⁸, Elisabetta Cottini ⁹, Ilaria Grossi ¹¹, Alessandro Salvi ¹¹, Giuseppina de Petro ¹¹, Marina Pizzi ¹², Antonio Canale ¹³, Kaj Blennow ^{4 14 15 16 17}, Henrik Zetterberg ^{4 14 18 19 20 21}, Alessandro Padovani ^{8 9 10 22}

Affiliations Expand

• PMID: 39249107

DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12669-7

Abstract

Introduction: The prognostic role of plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL), phospho-tau, beta-amyloid, and GFAP is still debated in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Plasma p-tau181, p-tau231, Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42, GFAP, and NfL were measured by SIMOA in 136 PD with 2.9 + 1.7 years of follow-up and 76 controls. Differences in plasma levels between controls and PD and their correlation with clinical severity and progression rates were evaluated using linear regression analyses.

Results: Patients exhibited similar distribution of plasma biomarkers but higher P-tau181, P-tau231 and lower Aβ1-42 compared with controls. NfL and GFAP correlated with baseline motor and non-motor severity measures. At follow-up, NfL emerged as the best predictor of progression with marginal effect of GFAP and p-tau181 adjusting for age, sex, disease duration, and baseline motor severity.

Conclusion: The present findings confirmed plasma NfL as best predictor of progression in PD, with a marginal role of p-tau181 and GFAP.

Keywords: GFAP; Neurofilament light chain; Parkinson’s disease; Phosphorylated tau; Plasma biomarkers; Progression.