Wellmann Sven, Geis Tobias, Kuhle Jens, Lehnerer Verena
University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), Hospital St. Hedwig of the Order of St. John, University of Regensburg, 93049 Regensburg, Germany.
Department of Neurology, University Hospital, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland.
J Clin Med. 2024 Sep 12;13(18):5416. doi: 10.3390/jcm13185416.
Inflammation of the brain is called encephalitis and may result in acute and chronic brain damage. Encephalitis can be caused by various pathogens, especially neurotropic viruses, or can occur in the context of autoimmune diseases. Encephalitis is often difficult to diagnose and to monitor precisely during the course of the disease. Thanks to highly specific detection technology, components of the neuron skeleton, such as neurofilaments, can now be reliably quantified in the peripheral blood besides cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Among them, neurofilament light chain (NfL) has demonstrated wide utility due to high preanalytical stability, robust diagnostic technology, and excellent reproducibility. We provide an overview of how NfL has advanced diagnostics in encephalitis and outline future avenues in research needs and possible clinical applicability of NfL in adults and children.
脑部炎症称为脑炎，可能导致急性和慢性脑损伤。脑炎可由多种病原体引起，尤其是嗜神经病毒，也可发生在自身免疫性疾病的背景下。脑炎在疾病过程中往往难以诊断和精确监测。由于具有高度特异性的检测技术，现在除了脑脊液（CSF）外，还可以在外周血中可靠地定量神经元骨架的成分，如神经丝。其中，神经丝轻链（NfL）由于具有高分析前稳定性、强大的诊断技术和出色的可重复性，已显示出广泛的应用价值。我们概述了NfL如何推动脑炎的诊断，并概述了未来的研究方向、NfL在成人和儿童中的研究需求以及可能的临床适用性。
