Contributions
Abstract: P1008
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - MS and gender
Background: In Multiple sclerosis (MS), the annualized relapse rate (ARR) is reduced during pregnancy and temporarily increased in the puerperium. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a highly specific structural protein of neurons and its quantification in serum is considered a biomarker for neuroaxonal injury. NfL levels in blood are associated with relapse activity, disability scores and treatment response in MS.
Objectives: Our aim was to analyze longitudinal serum NfL (sNfL) levels during pregnancy and puerperium in MS patients and healthy controls.
Methods: We performed a prospective, longitudinal, single-center study. We assessed sNfL concentration in the first (1T) and third trimester (3T) and in puerperium (P), in a cohort of pregnant MS patients (P-MS) between 2007-2017. Non-pregnant MS patients (NP-MS) and healthy control pregnant females (HCP) served as control groups. sNfL was measured with a sensitive single molecule array (Simoa) assay. Descriptive and multivariate analysis were performed. NfL results are expressed by median (interquartile range 25%-75%).
Results: We analyzed sNfL in 36 P-MS, 24 NP-MS, and 20 HCP. In the P-MS group, 8 patients had a relapse during pregnancy (P-MS-R) and 28 didn´t (P-MS-NR). sNfL levels in NP-MS were 21,8 (13,75-44,2) pg/ml. In P-MS-R group they were 15,5 (13,3- 32,45) pg/ml in 1T; 21,9 (12,7 - 29,6) pg/ml in the 3T and 17,4 (12,1- 29,3) pg/ml in P. In P-MS-NR group were 12,1 (8,55- 19,15) in 1T, 12,6 (8,4-18,5) in 3T, and 13,6 (11,6- 21,7) in P. In HCP, levels were 7,8 (4,9-10,1) in 1ºT; 13,3 (6,5- 15,6) in 3ºT and 10,8 (6,7- 12,9) in P. For those MS patients who did not have a relapse during pregnancy, their 3T NfL levels showed no differences with the HCP group (p: 0,69). If the P-MS had a relapse during pregnancy, their 3T sNfL levels were similar as the NP-MS group (p: 0,51).
Concussion: Our data confirm that during pregnancy the clinical fluctuations correlate with the NfL levels. NfL levels also increased during pregnancy in the HCP group. Our data suggest that pregnancy protects neuroaxonal injury in MS only if there are no relapses.
Disclosure: This study was funded by Biogen®
Jens Kuhle received speaker fees, research support, travel support, and/or served on advisory boards by ECTRIMS, Swiss MS Society, Swiss National Research Foundation, (320030_160221), University of Basel, Bayer, Biogen, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Protagen AG, Roche, Teva.
Abstract: P1008
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - MS and gender
Background: In Multiple sclerosis (MS), the annualized relapse rate (ARR) is reduced during pregnancy and temporarily increased in the puerperium. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a highly specific structural protein of neurons and its quantification in serum is considered a biomarker for neuroaxonal injury. NfL levels in blood are associated with relapse activity, disability scores and treatment response in MS.
Objectives: Our aim was to analyze longitudinal serum NfL (sNfL) levels during pregnancy and puerperium in MS patients and healthy controls.
Methods: We performed a prospective, longitudinal, single-center study. We assessed sNfL concentration in the first (1T) and third trimester (3T) and in puerperium (P), in a cohort of pregnant MS patients (P-MS) between 2007-2017. Non-pregnant MS patients (NP-MS) and healthy control pregnant females (HCP) served as control groups. sNfL was measured with a sensitive single molecule array (Simoa) assay. Descriptive and multivariate analysis were performed. NfL results are expressed by median (interquartile range 25%-75%).
Results: We analyzed sNfL in 36 P-MS, 24 NP-MS, and 20 HCP. In the P-MS group, 8 patients had a relapse during pregnancy (P-MS-R) and 28 didn´t (P-MS-NR). sNfL levels in NP-MS were 21,8 (13,75-44,2) pg/ml. In P-MS-R group they were 15,5 (13,3- 32,45) pg/ml in 1T; 21,9 (12,7 - 29,6) pg/ml in the 3T and 17,4 (12,1- 29,3) pg/ml in P. In P-MS-NR group were 12,1 (8,55- 19,15) in 1T, 12,6 (8,4-18,5) in 3T, and 13,6 (11,6- 21,7) in P. In HCP, levels were 7,8 (4,9-10,1) in 1ºT; 13,3 (6,5- 15,6) in 3ºT and 10,8 (6,7- 12,9) in P. For those MS patients who did not have a relapse during pregnancy, their 3T NfL levels showed no differences with the HCP group (p: 0,69). If the P-MS had a relapse during pregnancy, their 3T sNfL levels were similar as the NP-MS group (p: 0,51).
Concussion: Our data confirm that during pregnancy the clinical fluctuations correlate with the NfL levels. NfL levels also increased during pregnancy in the HCP group. Our data suggest that pregnancy protects neuroaxonal injury in MS only if there are no relapses.
Disclosure: This study was funded by Biogen®
Jens Kuhle received speaker fees, research support, travel support, and/or served on advisory boards by ECTRIMS, Swiss MS Society, Swiss National Research Foundation, (320030_160221), University of Basel, Bayer, Biogen, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Protagen AG, Roche, Teva.