A blood test to monitor a nerve protein in the blood of people with multiple sclerosis (SP) could help predict whether disease activity is active and improve treatment, according to results of a study published in the medical journal Neurology.
For this study, researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway recruited 85 people with multiple sclerosis. During the first six months, the participants received no treatment. Then, for the remaining 18 months, they were all treated with interferon beta 1a, an immunomodulatory treatment effective in MS.
During the first nine months, participants underwent monthly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and blood samples were taken at the start of the study, at three and six months, as well as at the first and second. second year.
A protein prevents disease activity
The researchers found that nerve protein levels in the blood were higher when MRI scans detected new T1 and T2 lesions, which are damaged areas in the brain due to MS. Elevated levels of nerve proteins were noted for a period of three months during the development of new lesions. Nerve protein levels also decreased when treatment with interferon-beta 1a was started.
“Since MS varies so much from person to person and is so unpredictable in its progression, identifying a biomarker like this can help us make predictions,” says Kristin N. Varhaug of the University. from Bergen in Norway. “These blood tests could provide a low-cost alternative to MRI for monitoring disease activity.”
A blood test can also be a good alternative for all patients who are concerned about MRI monitoring.
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