Tau protein in cerebrospinal fluid: a possible marker of poor outcome in patients with early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 363; no. 1; pp. 14 - 17
• Main Authors: Martı́nez-Yélamos, Antonio, Saiz, Albert, Bas, Jordi, Hernandez, Juan Jose, Graus, Francesc, Arbizu, Txomin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 03.06.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Axonal damage; Biochemical marker; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - cerebrospinal fluid; Cerebrospinal fluid; Chi-Square Distribution; Disability; Disease Progression; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - cerebrospinal fluid; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - diagnosis; Neurology; Prognosis; Reference Values; Retrospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Spinal Puncture - methods; Statistics, Nonparametric; Tau protein; tau Proteins - cerebrospinal fluid; Time Factors; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Disability; Multiple sclerosis; Cerebrospinal fluid; Axonal damage; Tau protein; Biochemical marker; Human; Nervous system diseases; Central nervous system disease; Inflammatory disease
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.03.039

We analyzed the prognostic value of Tau protein, a marker of axonal damage, detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). We sampled the CSF from 32 patients with probable or definite RRMS, having had the disease for less than 5 years. We studied the relationship between Tau protein concentration in the CSF (CSF-TAU) and disability, time to next relapse and time to experience a one point increase on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). CSF-TAU was correlated with the Progression Index at the end of follow-up. Patients with higher CSF-TAU experienced a more rapid one point increase in the EDSS. CSF-TAU was the only independent variable to predict the time to next relapse. CSF-TAU, as a marker of axonal loss, may help us to predict short-term outcome in patients with early RRMS.