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 the results of a study published in the medical journal Neurology.
For this study, researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway recruited 85 people with multiple sclerosis. During the first six months, the participants received no care. Then, for the remaining 18 months, they were all treated with interferon beta 1a, an effective immunomodulatory treatment in MS.
During the first nine months, participants underwent monthly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and blood samples were taken at baseline, at three and six months, and at first and second year.
Protein prevents disease activity
The researchers found that nerve protein levels in the blood were higher when MRI detected new T1 and T2 lesions, which are damaged areas in the brain due to MS. Elevated levels of nerve protein were noted for a period of three months during the development of new lesions. Nerve protein levels also decreased when interferon-beta 1a treatment was started.
“Because MS varies wildly 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 fear monitoring by MRI.
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