Holmøy T, Løken-Amsrud KI, Bakke SJ, Beiske AG, Bjerve KS, Hovdal H, Lilleås F, Midgard R, Pedersen T, Saltytė Benth J, Torkildsen O, Wergeland S, Myhr KM, Michelsen AE, Aukrust P, Ueland T. Inflammation Markers in Multiple Sclerosis: CXCL16 Reflects and May Also Predict Disease Activity.
PLoS One. 2013 Sep 19;8(9):e75021.
BACKGROUND:Serum markers of inflammation are candidate biomarkers in multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to explore the relationship between serum levels of inflammation markers and MRI activity in patients with relapsing remitting MS, as well as the effect of ω-3 fatty acids on these markers.
METHODS:We performed a prospective cohort study in 85 relapsing remitting MS patients who participated in a randomized clinical trial of ω-3 fatty acids versus placebo (the OFAMS study). During a period of 24 months 12 repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and nine serum samples were obtained. We measured 10 inflammation markers, including general down-stream markers of inflammation, specific markers of up-stream inflammatory pathways, endothelial action, and matrix regulation.
RESULTS:Increasing serum levels of CXCL16 and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were associated with low odds ratio for simultaneous MRI activity, whereas a positive association was observed for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9. CXCL16 were also associated with low MRI activity the next month, but this was not significant after Bonferroni correction.
CONCLUSIONS: Serum levels of CXCL16, MMP-9, and osteoprotegerin reflect disease activity in MS, CXCL16 could be a novel biomarker and potential predictor of disease activity in MS.
This study suggests that some blood markers may reflect disease activity MMP9 is also known as gelatinase B and showed a correlation with MRI activity. A chemokine CCXCL16 was more common when so not have MRI activity..and it may be useful if you could measure them more easily could it help you to manage your MS.