Utilizing neurodegenerative markers for the diagnostic evaluation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of upper and lower motor neurons.

A definitive diagnostic test or biomarker for ALS is currently unavailable, leading to a diagnostic delay following the onset of initial symptoms.

Our study focused on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of clusterin, tau protein, phosphorylated tau protein, and beta-amyloid1–42 in ALS patients and a control group.

Methods Our study involved 54 ALS patients and 58 control subjects.

Among the ALS patients, 14 presented with bulbar-onset ALS, and 40 with limb-onset ALS.

We quantified biomarker levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared the results using the Mann–Whitney U-test.

Results Significant elevations in neurodegenerative markers, including tau protein ( p  < 0.0001), phosphorylated tau protein ( p  < 0.0001), and clusterin ( p  = 0.038), were observed in ALS patients compared to controls.

Elevated levels of tau protein and phosphorylated tau protein were also noted in both bulbar and limb-onset ALS patients.

However, no significant difference was observed for beta-amyloid1–42.

ROC analysis identified tau protein (AUC = 0.767) and p-tau protein (AUC = 0.719) as statistically significant predictors for ALS.

Conclusion Our study demonstrates that neurodegenerative marker levels indicate an ongoing neurodegenerative process in ALS.

Nonetheless, the progression of ALS cannot be predicted solely based on these markers.

The discovery of a specific biomarker could potentially complement existing diagnostic criteria for ALS.