Clinical utility of the Lumipulse™ immunoassay for plasma neurofilament light chain in multiple sclerosis

Objective Blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) is robustly associated with disease worsening in multiple sclerosis (MS), though potentially affected by concomitant factors also determining neuro-axonal loss. We investigated the association between plasma NfL (pNfL) measured with Lumipulse™ immunoassay and demographic and clinical variables in MS. Methods This cross-sectional study included 685 people with MS (age 49.7 ± 12.4 years; sex 65.55% females). On the same day, we collected plasma samples, along with demographics, comorbidities, and clinical variables (MS disease duration, expanded disability status scale (EDSS), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), descriptor of disease progression, current disease modifying treatment (DMT), number of previous DMTs, evidence of disease activity in the past year (i.e. relapse or MRI new lesions), EDSS progression). pNfL was evaluated using Lumipulse™ fully automated chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. Results On multivariable linear regression model, higher pNfL was associated with higher EDSS (Coeff = 1.73; 95%CI 0.78, 2.68; p < 0.01), recent disease activity (Coeff = 15.70; 95%CI = 5.35, 26.06; p < 0.01), and presence of cardiovascular comorbidity (Coeff = 3.84; 95%CI 0.48, 7.20; p = 0.025). Lower pNfL was found in patients on DMT treatment (Coeff = −10.23; 95%CI -18.42, −2.04; p = 0.015), when compared with no DMT (reference). For 77.81% of our population there was correspondence between pNfL levels and two previously-validated cutoffs. Conclusions pNfL measured using Lumipulse™ confirms known associations with MS activity, disability and treatments, and related confounding (e.g., cardiovascular comorbidity), thus granting further utilization in research and clinical practice.