Plasma protein profiling reveals candidate biomarkers for multiple sclerosis treatment

PLoS One. 2019 May 29;14(5):e0217208. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217208. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment options have improved significantly over the past decades, but the consequences of MS can still be devastating and the needs for monitoring treatment surveillance are considerable. In the current study we used affinity proteomics technology to identify potential biomarkers which could ultimately be used to as facilitate treatment decisions. We profiled the intra-individual changes in the levels of 59 target proteins using an antibody suspension bead array in serial plasma samples from 44 MS patients during treatment with natalizumab followed by fingolimod. Nine proteins showed decreasing plasma levels during natalizumab treatment, with PEBP1 and RTN3 displaying the most significant changes. Protein levels remained stable during fingolimod treatment for both proteins. The decreasing PEBP1 levels during natalizumab treatment could be validated using ELISA and replicated in an independent cohort. These results support the use of this technology as a high throughput method of identifying potentially useful biomarkers of MS treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomarkers / blood*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Fingolimod Hydrochloride / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Multiple Sclerosis / blood*
  • Multiple Sclerosis / drug therapy
  • Multiple Sclerosis / immunology
  • Natalizumab / therapeutic use*
  • Proteomics

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Natalizumab
  • Fingolimod Hydrochloride

Grants and funding

JH received funding from Sanofi Genzyme [(grant number GZ-2014-11150] and the Swedish Research Council [grant number K2014-61X-11220-20-4]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.