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Assays to Detect Neurofilament Light
Tanuja Chitnis, MD, discusses the use of ultra-sensitive assays to determine protein levels in the blood, which may aid in the diagnosis of MS.
Mark Freedman, MD, MSc, addresses the historical measurement of neurofilament light chain (NFL) in spinal fluid due to higher levels, necessitating lumbar punctures. He directs the question to Tanuja Chitnis, MD, who explains the advancements in the past 5 to 10 years, notably the use of ultra-sensitive assays like single-molecule array assays (SIMOA).
Tanuja Chitnis, MD, highlights the significant progress with SIMOA, allowing the detection of extremely low levels of proteins, including NFL, in the blood. She emphasizes the correlation between NFL levels in spinal fluid and blood, noting a robust 60% correlation or a correlation coefficient of about 0.6. This correlation supports the reliability of NFL measurement in the blood as a biomarker.
Video synopsis is AI-generated and reviewed by HCPLive® editorial staff.
