Candidate Serum Biomarker of Disease Activity in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) as an autoimmune disorder of astrocytes that leads to the loss of neurons. Therefore, serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP) from astrocytes and serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) are candidate biomarkers for disease activity. Investigators sought to evaluate sGFAP and sNfL in relation to attacks and remissions in NMOSD. They included 266 blood samples taken within 6 months after an attack from 78 patients with NMOSD in the discovery cohort and 259 blood samples from 103 patients with NMOSD for the validation cohort. To measure levels during remission, they included 164 blood samples taken more than 6 months postattack from 78 patients in the discovery cohort.

Levels of sGFAP peaked w…