PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Tavazzi, Eleonora AU - Jakimovski, Dejan AU - Kuhle, Jens AU - Hagemeier, Jesper AU - Ozel, Osman AU - Ramanathan, Murali AU - Barro, Christian AU - Bergsland, Niels AU - Tomic, Davorka AU - Kropshofer, Harald AU - Leppert, David AU - Michalak, Zuzanna AU - Lincoff, Norah AU - Dwyer, Michael G. AU - Benedict, Ralph H.B. AU - Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca AU - Zivadinov, Robert TI - Serum neurofilament light chain and optical coherence tomography measures in MS AID - 10.1212/NXI.0000000000000737 DP - 2020 Jul 01 TA - Neurology - Neuroimmunology Neuroinflammation PG - e737 VI - 7 IP - 4 4099 - http://nn.neurology.org/content/7/4/e737.short 4100 - http://nn.neurology.org/content/7/4/e737.full SO - Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm2020 Jul 01; 7 AB - Objective To study the association between serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) and multiple optical coherence tomography (OCT) measures in patients with MS and healthy controls (HCs).Methods In this prospective study, 110 patients with MS were recruited, together with 52 age- and sex-matched HCs. Clinical evaluation and spectral domain OCT and sNfL were obtained at baseline and after 5.5 years of follow-up. Nested linear mixed models were used to assess differences between MS vs HC and associations between sNfL and OCT measures. Partial correlation coefficients are reported, and p values were adjusted for the false discovery rate.Results At baseline, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFLT) and macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer thickness (mGCIP) were significantly lower in MS than HC both in MS-associated optic neuritis (MSON) (p = 0.007, p = 0.001) and nonaffected MSON (n-MSON) eyes (p = 0.003, p = 0.018), along with total macular volume (TMV) in n-MSON eyes (p = 0.011). At follow-up, MS showed significantly lower pRNFLT, mGCIP, and TMV both in MSON and n-MSON eyes (p < 0.001) compared with HC. In MS n-MSON eyes, sNfL was significantly associated with baseline pRNFLT and mGCIP (q = 0.019). No significant associations were found in MSON eyes.Conclusions This study confirms the ability of sNfL to detect neurodegeneration in MS and advocates for the inclusion of sNfL and OCT measures in clinical trials.Classification of evidence This study provides Class III evidence that sNfL levels were associated with MS neurodegeneration measured by OCT.ART=activated real-time eye tracking; CEG-MS=cardiac, environmental, and genetic factors in MS; DMT=disease-modifying therapy; EDSS=Expanded Disability Status Scale; ETDRS=Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study; GCIP=ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer thickness; HC=healthy control; IQR=interquartile range; INL=inner nuclear layer; LMM=linear mixed model; mGCIP=macular GCIP; mINL=macular INL; n-MSON=nonaffected MSON; OCT=optical coherence tomography; PMS=progressive MS; pRNFLT=peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness; RRMS=relapsing-remitting MS; sNfL=serum neurofilament light chain; TMV=total macular volume; WM=white matter