Beta Amyloid Peptide:Research Paper: A multi-center study of neurofilament assay reliability and inter-laboratory variability

A multi-center study of neurofilament assay reliability and inter-laboratory variability

Abstract

Objectives: Significantly elevated levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNfH) have been described in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analytical performance of different neurofilament assays in a round robin with 10 centers across Europe/U.S. Methods: Serum, plasma and CSF samples from a group of five ALS and five neurological control patients were distributed across 10 international specialist neurochemical laboratories for analysis by a range of commercial and in-house neurofilament assays. The performance of all assays was evaluated for their ability to differentiate between the groups. The inter-assay coefficient of variation was calculated where appropriate from sample measurements performed across multiple laboratories using the same assay. Results: All assays could differentiate ALS patients from controls in CSF. Inter-assay coefficient of variation of analytical platforms performed across multiple laboratories varied between 6.5% and 41.9%. Conclusions: This study is encouraging for the growing momentum toward integration of neurofilament measurement into the specialized ALS clinic. It demonstrates the importance of 'round robin' studies necessary to ensure the analytical quality required for translation to the routine clinical setting. A standardized neurofilament probe is needed which can be used as international benchmark for analytical performance in ALS.

Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; biomarker; neurofilament.

This article originally appeared in the "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32558597/" and has their copyrights. We do not claim copyright on the content. This information is for research purposes only. This Blog is made available by publishers for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding , not to provide specific advice. By using this blog site you understand that there is no client relationship between you and the Blog publisher. The Blog should not be used as a substitute for competent research advice.