Evaluation of Neurofilament Light Chain as a Biomarker of Neurodegeneration in X-Linked Childhood Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy

Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD) is a devastating, demyelinating neuroinflammatory manifestation found in up to 40% of young males with an inherited mutation in ABCD1, the causative gene in adrenoleukodystrophy. The search for biomarkers which correlate to CALD disease burden and respond to intervention has long been sought after. We used the Olink Proximity Extension Assay (Uppsala, Sweden) to explore the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of young males with CALD followed by correlative analysis with plasma. Using the Target 96 Neuro Exploratory panel, we found that, of the five proteins significantly increased in CSF, only neurofilament light chain (NfL) showed a significant correlation between CSF and plasma levels. Young males with CALD had a 11.3-fold increase in plasma NfL compared with controls. Importantly, 9 of 11 young males with CALD who underwent HCT showed a mean decrease in plasma NfL of 50% at 1 year after HCT compared with pre-HCT levels. In conclusion, plasma NfL could be a great value in determining outcomes in CALD and should be scrutinized in future studies in patients prior to CALD development and after therapeutic intervention.

Automated summary

Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD) is a devastating neuroinflammatory manifestation, and finding biomarkers for this disease burden has been a long-standing goal. This study suggests that plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) could be an important indicator in evaluating CALD outcomes, with a significant correlation to cerebral spinal fluid levels and a potential for decrease after therapeutic intervention.