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Plasma NFL is a sensitive marker of neuronal injury
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Plasma and CSF NFL concentrations were highly correlated
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Plasma NFL is useful to detect active axonal injury in treated and untreated HIV
A sensitive blood biomarker of neuronal injury has long been sought for. Here we describe an ultrasensitive quantification measurement of the axonal neurofilament light chain protein (NFL) in blood. We test this in the setting of HIV brain injury in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NFL has been well characterized and noted to be a reliable biomarker of neuronal injury.
Blood and CSF NFL were highly correlated and measurement of plasma NFL was able to detect both severe and subclinical neuronal injury in HIV.
CSF NFL is elevated in a wide range of additional neurodegenerative settings, so the reported findings likely have broader implications, though this requires additional direct study.
