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Neuro biomarkers in COVID 19 - Serum and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker profiles in acute SARS-CoV-2-associated neurological syndromes

livinglighter

Senior Member
Messages
379
Abstract

Preliminary pathological and biomarker data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection can damage the nervous system.

To understand what, where and how damage occurs, we collected serum and CSF from patients with COVID-19 and characterised neurological syndromes involving the peripheral and central nervous system (n = 34).

We measured biomarkers of neuronal damage and neuroinflammation, and compared these with non-neurological control groups, which included patients with (n = 94) and without (n = 24) COVID-19.

We detected increased concentrations of neurofilament light, a dynamic biomarker of neuronal damage, in the CSF of those with central nervous system inflammation (encephalitis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis) (14800pg/mL [400, 32400]), compared to those with encephalopathy (1410pg/mL [756, 1446], peripheral syndromes (GBS) (740pg/mL [507, 881]) and controls (872pg/mL [654,1200]).

Serum neurofilament light levels were elevated across patients hospitalised with COVID-19, irrespective of neurological manifestations. There was not the usual close correlation between CSF and serum neurofilament light, suggesting serum neurofilament light elevation in the non-neurological patients may reflect peripheral nerve damage in response to severe illness. We did not find significantly elevated levels of serum neurofilament light in community cases of COVID-19 arguing against significant neurological damage. Glial fibrillary acidic protein, a marker of astrocytic activation, was not elevated in the CSF or serum of any group, suggesting astrocytic activation is not a major mediator of neuronal damage in COVID-19.


https://academic.oup.com/braincomms/advance-article/doi/10.1093/braincomms/fcab099/6274642

https://watermark.silverchair.com/f...90qDAdUP7h1V-O-MDPkmb-AagTiJSYSlPksww0wNZB8qx

The paper discusses some things/findings to do with encephalopathy as well.