We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
INTEGRA BIOSCIENCES AG

Download Mobile App




Blood Test to Improve Diagnosis and Management of ALS

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 27 Feb 2025
Print article
Image: The study helps determine which blood tests are best at identifying and monitoring ALS (Photo courtesy of AdobeStock)
Image: The study helps determine which blood tests are best at identifying and monitoring ALS (Photo courtesy of AdobeStock)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is often challenging to diagnose and predict in terms of disease progression. An effective biomarker would be invaluable—not only in assisting with diagnosis but also in predicting prognosis, assessing disease stages, and monitoring patient progress or their response to treatment. Now, a new study has identified which blood tests are most effective for identifying and tracking ALS.

Researchers at Inserm Hospital (Paris, France) and University of Montpellier (Montpellier, France) conducted a study comparing three types of blood biomarkers: neurofilament light chain proteins, glial acidic proteins, and phosphorylated tau 181. Neurofilament light chain proteins are detectable in the blood when nerve cells are injured or die. Glial acidic proteins are released when the body attempts to repair such injuries, while phosphorylated tau 181 is linked to amyloid protein accumulation, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The study also assessed four different techniques to measure neurofilament light chain levels. The study, published in Neurology, involved 139 individuals diagnosed with ALS and 70 individuals with similar conditions such as lower motor neuron disease and primary lateral sclerosis. The participants’ blood was tested for these three biomarkers.

The study followed the ALS patients for an average of 3.5 years and the non-ALS group for approximately 12 years. During this period, 86% of the ALS patients passed away, compared to only 8% of those with other conditions. For neurofilament light chain proteins, those with ALS had levels three times higher in their blood compared to individuals with other diseases. The study found that tests measuring neurofilament light chain proteins accurately identified ALS patients over 80% of the time. In contrast, the accuracy of tests for glial acidic proteins and phosphorylated tau 181 was much lower, yielding correct results only about 50% of the time. Additionally, the researchers identified a specific threshold level of neurofilament light chain proteins that could predict survival in ALS patients. Within a year, over 40% of those with protein levels below the threshold were still alive, while none of those with higher protein levels survived.

“While more research needs to be done to confirm these findings, having better information about prognosis is valuable for people with ALS and their families as well as the doctors who treat them,” said study author Sylvain Lehmann, MD, PhD.

Gold Member
Pharmacogenetics Panel
VeriDose Core Panel v2.0
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Ultrasonic Cleaner
UC 300 Series
New
Fixed Speed Tube Rocker
GTR-FS

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: QIP-MS could predict and detect myeloma relapse earlier compared to currently used techniques (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Mass Spectrometry-Based Monitoring Technique to Predict and Identify Early Myeloma Relapse

Myeloma, a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow, is currently incurable, though many patients can live for over 10 years after diagnosis. However, around 1 in 5 individuals with myeloma have a high-risk... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The cancer stem cell test can accurately choose more effective treatments (Photo courtesy of University of Cincinnati)

Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Ziyang Wang and Shengxi Huang have developed a tool that enables precise insights into viral proteins and brain disease markers (Photo courtesy of Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

Light Signature Algorithm to Enable Faster and More Precise Medical Diagnoses

Every material or molecule interacts with light in a unique way, creating a distinct pattern, much like a fingerprint. Optical spectroscopy, which involves shining a laser on a material and observing how... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration aims to leverage Oxford Nanopore\'s sequencing platform and Cepheid\'s GeneXpert system to advance the field of sequencing for infectious diseases (Photo courtesy of Cepheid)

Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions

Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.