Increased Cerebrospinal Fluid Chitotriosidase Activity in Multiple Sclerosis

New findings raise the question of whether the CTTS index could be used as a biomarker for microglia activation.

Human chitinase chitotriosidase (CTTS) is expressed in chronically activated macrophages that typically are filled with lipid material in certain pathologic conditions. To examine activity levels of CTTS in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers used concurrent samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum from 153 patients with definite MS, 29 patients with other neurological diseases (OND), and 55 healthy controls.

CTTS activity was significantly higher in CSF, but not in serum, from the MS group compared with the OND and healthy-control groups. Subgroup analysis showed that CTTS activity was increased in patients with relapsing and secondary progressive MS but not in patients with primary progressive MS. The CTTS index (the r…

Reviewing Author

Samia J. Khoury, MD