Neuroscience letters
-
Neuroscience letters · Apr 2019
Neurofilament changes in serum and cerebrospinal fluid after acute ischemic stroke.
Neurofilament light (NFL) is a well-validated biomarker for neuronal injury and neurodegeneration. Increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels have been shown after stroke, as well as in patients with a broad range of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases. Neurofilament heavy (NFH) belongs to the same family of structural proteins but it is less extensively studied. The potential of phosphorylated NFH (pNFH) as a stroke biomarker and for the prediction of clinical outcome is unknown. In this study, we aimed to examine the temporal pattern of NFL and pNFH concentrations in serum and CSF after acute ischemic stroke. ⋯ NFL and pNFH in CSF and serum are promising biomarkers for axonal injury following stroke. Further studies in larger populations are needed to fully understand the progression of the neuronal damage after acute ischemic stroke and to evaluate if these biomarkers can provide additive information and how they relate to outcome.