Neurofilament Light Chain as a Biomarker of Hereditary Transthyretin-Mediated Amyloidosis

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 96; no. 3; pp. e412 - e422
• Main Authors: Ticau, Simina, Sridharan, Gautham V., Tsour, Shira, Cantley, William L., Chan, Amy, Gilbert, Jason A., Erbe, David, Aldinc, Emre, Reilly, Mary M., Adams, David, Polydefkis, Michael, Fitzgerald, Kevin, Vaishnaw, Akshay, Nioi, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 19-01-2021; American Academy of Neurology
• Subjects: Aged; Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial - blood; Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial - diagnosis; Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial - drug therapy; Biomarkers - blood; Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neurofilament Proteins - blood; Prognosis; Proteome; RNA, Small Interfering - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0028-3878; 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011090

OBJECTIVETo identify changes in the proteome associated with onset and progression of ATTRv amyloidosis, we performed an observational, case-controlled study which compared proteomes of patients with ATTRv amyloidosis and healthy controls.
METHODSPlasma levels of >1,000 proteins were measured in patients with ATTRv amyloidosis with polyneuropathy who received either placebo or patisiran in the APOLLO study and in healthy controls. The impact of patisiran on the time profile of each protein was determined by linear mixed model at 0, 9, and 18 months. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) was further assessed using an orthogonal quantitative approach.
RESULTSLevels of 66 proteins were significantly changed with patisiran vs placebo, with NfL change most significant (p < 10). Analysis of changes in protein levels demonstrated that the proteome of patisiran-treated patients trended toward healthy controls at 18 months. Healthy controlsʼ NfL levels were 4-fold lower than in patients with ATTRv amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (16.3 vs 69.4 pg/mL, effect−53.1 pg/mL, 95% CI [–60.5 to −45.9]). NfL levels at 18 months increased with placebo (99.5 vs 63.2 pg/mL, 36.3 pg/mL, [16.5–56.1]) and decreased with patisiran treatment (48.8 vs 72.1 pg/mL, −23.3 pg/mL, [–33.4 to −13.1]) from baseline. At 18 months, improvement in modified Neuropathy Impairment Score +7 following patisiran significantly correlated with reduced NfL (R = 0.43, [0.29–0.55]).
CONCLUSIONSFindings suggest NfL may serve as a biomarker of nerve damage and polyneuropathy in ATTRv amyloidosis, may enable earlier diagnosis of patients with ATTRv amyloidosis, and facilitate monitoring of disease progression.
CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCEThis study provides Class III evidence that NfL levels may enable earlier diagnosis of polyneuropathy in patients with ATTRv amyloidosis and facilitate monitoring of disease progression.