Intensity of Intrathecal Total IgG Synthesis in Multiple Sclerosis Correlates with the Degree of Pleocytosis, Diversity of Intrathecal Antiviral Antibody Specificities, and Female Sex.

Background: The presence of intrathecal total IgG production is a hallmark of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) characteristics in multiple sclerosis (MS). Herein, we systematically analyze how the intensity (instead of mere presence) of intrathecal total IgG production relates to basic CSF parameters in MS.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed clinical routine CSF findings from 390 therapy-naïve relapsing-remitting MS patients diagnosed according to 2017 revised McDonald criteria.

Intrathecal immune reactivity against Measles-, Rubella-, and Varicella Zoster viruses is associated with cerebrospinal fluid inflammation in multiple sclerosis.

Background/objectives: We aimed to determine in multiple sclerosis (MS) whether intrathecal immunoglobulin G (IgG) production against measles- (M), rubella- (R), and varicella zoster (Z) viruses, which is called MRZ reaction (MRZR) and considered the most specific soluble biomarker for MS, is associated with demographic and basic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters reflecting inflammation.

Methods: We analyzed the presence of positive MRZR and associations with demographic and clinical routine CSF parameters in 513 patients with MS and 182 non-MS patients.

Results: Comparing MS patients versus non-MS patients, positive MRZR (38.

Intrathecal IgM Synthesis Is Associated with Spinal Cord Manifestation and Neuronal Injury in Early MS.

Objective: Intrathecal Immunoglobulin M synthesis (IgM ) and spinal MRI lesions are both strong independent predictors of higher disease activity and severity in multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated whether IgM is associated with spinal cord manifestation and higher neuroaxonal damage in early MS.

Methods: In 122 patients with a first demyelinating event associations between (1) spinal versus (vs) non-spinal clinical syndrome (2) spinal vs cerebral T2-weighted (T2w) and (3) contrast-enhancing (CE) lesion counts with IgG (vs IgG ) or IgM (vs IgM ) were investigated by logistic regression adjusted for age and sex, respectively.

Cerebrospinal fluid findings in COVID-19: a multicenter study of 150 lumbar punctures in 127 patients.

Background: Comprehensive data on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile in patients with COVID-19 and neurological involvement from large-scale multicenter studies are missing so far.

Objective: To analyze systematically the CSF profile in COVID-19.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 150 lumbar punctures in 127 patients with PCR-proven COVID-19 and neurological symptoms seen at 17 European university centers RESULTS: The most frequent pathological finding was blood-CSF barrier (BCB) dysfunction (median QAlb 11.

Accuracy of urine flow cytometry and urine test strip in predicting relevant bacteriuria in different patient populations.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is diagnosed combining urinary symptoms with demonstration of urine culture growth above a given threshold. Our aim was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of Urine Flow Cytometry (UFC) with urine test strip in predicting bacterial growth and in identifying contaminated urine samples, and to derive an algorithm to identify relevant bacterial growth for clinical use.

Methods: Species identification and colony-forming unit (CFU/ml) quantification from bacterial cultures were matched to corresponding cellular (leucocytes/epithelial cells) and bacteria counts per μl.

Aside from acute renal failure cases, are urinary markers of glomerular and tubular function useful in clinical practice?

The qualitative evaluation of proteinuria represents a crucial diagnostic step in clinical practice for the classification of renal diseases according to glomerular, tubulo-interstitial, mixed injury or related to monoclonal gammopathy. Combined with the quantitative evaluation, it also allows an assessment of the disease's severity and prognosis as well as the response to treatment. The development of the urine protein profile (UPP) combines specific urine protein assays on a urine spot analyzing glomerular protein markers such as albumin, transferrin and immunoglobulin G, and tubular markers such as alpha-1microglobulin and retinol binding protein, to generate a detailed quantitative and qualitative proteinuria assessment.

Peaks and tails: Evaluation of irregularities in capillary serum protein electrophoresis.

The increased analytical sensitivity of capillary electrophoresis detects additional irregularities that are suspicious for a monoclonal component. This is most noticeable in the beta-1-, beta-2- and gamma-globulin fractions. The causes of non-monoclonal irregularities are manifold, but are rarely reported back to the ordering physician.

Serum and CSF GQ1b antibodies in isolated ophthalmologic syndromes.

Objective: To establish the sensitivity and specificity of serum and CSF antibodies targeting the gangliosides GQ1b (GQ1bAb) in isolated ophthalmologic syndromes, such as acute ophthalmoplegia (AO) and optic neuritis (ON), caused by disorders other than Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS).

Methods: We measured serum and CSF GQ1bAb in patients with MFS and with AO or ON caused by other disorders than MFS.

Results: Twenty-one patients with AO (21 serum, 9 CSF), 13 with ON (13 serum, 13 CSF), and 12 with MFS (12 serum, 10 CSF) were included in the study.

Serum neurofilament light chain in early relapsing remitting MS is increased and correlates with CSF levels and with MRI measures of disease severity.

Background/objectives: Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients correlate with the degree of neuronal injury. To date, little is known about NfL concentrations in the serum of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and their relationship with CSF levels and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of disease severity. We aimed to validate the quantification of NfL in serum samples of RRMS, as a biofluid source easily accessible for longitudinal studies.

Serum Neurofilament Light Chain Levels Are Associated with Clinical Characteristics and Outcome in Patients with Cervical Artery Dissection.

Background: Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels represent a promising marker of neuroaxonal injury. They are elevated in several neurological conditions, but their importance in cerebrovascular diseases remains unclear. In a proof of concept study, we compared sNfL levels with clinical characteristics and outcome in patients with cervical artery dissection (CeAD).

Varying strength of cognitive markers and biomarkers to predict conversion and cognitive decline in an early-stage-enriched mild cognitive impairment sample.

Background: Several cognitive, neuroimaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. However, predictors might be more or less powerful depending on the characteristics of the MCI sample.

Objective: To investigate which cognitive markers and biomarkers predict conversion to AD dementia and course of cognitive functioning in a MCI sample with a high proportion of early-stage MCI patients.

Increased neurofilament light chain blood levels in neurodegenerative neurological diseases.

Objective: Neuronal damage is the morphological substrate of persisting neurological disability. Neurofilaments (Nf) are cytoskeletal proteins of neurons and their release into cerebrospinal fluid has shown encouraging results as a biomarker for neurodegeneration. This study aimed to validate the quantification of the Nf light chain (NfL) in blood samples, as a biofluid source easily accessible for longitudinal studies.

Cerebrospinal fluid analyses for the diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage and experience from a Swedish study. What method is preferable when diagnosing a subarachnoid haemorrhage?

Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) has a high mortality and morbidity rate. Early SAH diagnosis allows the early treatment of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, which improves the prognosis. Diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses may be performed after a negative computed tomography scan, but the precise analytical methods to be used have been debated.

CSF biomarker variability in the Alzheimer's Association quality control program.

Background: The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers amyloid beta 1-42, total tau, and phosphorylated tau are used increasingly for Alzheimer's disease (AD) research and patient management. However, there are large variations in biomarker measurements among and within laboratories.

Methods: Data from the first nine rounds of the Alzheimer's Association quality control program was used to define the extent and sources of analytical variability.

Plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity in Alzheimer's disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and cognitively healthy elderly subjects: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a circulating enzyme with pro-inflammatory and oxidative activities associated with cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke. While high plasma Lp-PLA2 activity was reported as a risk factor for dementia in the Rotterdam study, no association between Lp-PLA2 mass and dementia or Alzheimer's disease (AD) was detected in the Framingham study. The objectives of the current study were to explore the relationship of plasma Lp-PLA2 activity with cognitive diagnoses (AD, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and cognitively healthy subjects), cardiovascular markers, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of AD, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype.

Biomarkers of dementia: comparison of electrochemiluminescence results and reference ranges with conventional ELISA.

We compared the performance of the Meso Scale Diagnostics electrochemiluminescence (MSD) multiplex assay for t-tau and p-tau(231), originally developed for measurement of brain cell extract and tissue cultures, with the established standard method, the Innogenetics ELISA for total and p-tau(181). The methods were also clinically evaluated with 120 samples from our mono center population. The established Innogenetics ELISA procedures have been well optimized to measure patient samples in the normal and pathological range.

Neurofilament heavy chain in CSF correlates with relapses and disability in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: Neurodegeneration is now accepted as a pathologic hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS). We sought to discover whether CSF levels of neurofilament heavy chain protein (NfH(SMI35)) correlate with disability, disease activity, or specific stages of MS.

Methods: An electrochemiluminescence immunoassay was used to retrospectively measure NfH(SMI35) in CSF of patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) (n = 63), relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) (n = 39), secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) (n = 25), primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) (n = 23), or controls (n = 73).

[Cerebrospinal fluid-based diagnostics of CT-negative subarachnoid haemorrhage].

The diagnostic investigation of CT-negative subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is a particular challenge in clinical neurology. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis via lumbar puncture is the method of choice. The diagnosis of SAH in CSF is based on a bloody or xanthochromic discoloration of the CSF as well as on findings in non-automated CSF cytology including the detection of erythrophages and siderophages.

CSF-tau and CSF-Abeta(1-42) in posterior cortical atrophy.

Objective: Our purpose was to measure Abeta(1-42), T-tau and P-tau(181) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a presenile dementia likely to represent a variant of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: CSF samples from 34 subjects including 9 patients with PCA, 11 age-matched patients with AD and 14 age-matched cognitively healthy controls were analyzed using commercially available ELISA kits.

Results: The Abeta(1-42), T-tau and P-tau(181) levels in PCA patients differed significantly (p < 0.

Comparison of the urinary protein patterns of athletes by 2D-gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry-a pilot study.

Urinary proteins and exercise-induced proteinuria have been the subject of much research. Proteinuria has been studied in depth after different running and cycling intensities and durations and the different mechanisms of glomerular filtration and tubular dysfunction have been elucidated. The present study was carried out to compare urinary protein profiles of athletes in different sport categories (endurance sport, team sport, strength sport).