1Ahmed Dahshan, 1Christine Ragaie, 1Foraysa El-Sayed Mohammed Talaat

1Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

Background:

Chitinase -3-Like protein-1 (CHI3L1) is a glycoside secreted by monocytes, microglia, and activated astrocytes. Its distribution in inflammatory lesions suggests that it might be an important component of the astrocytic response to modulate CNS inflammation. CHI3L1 levels in CSF have been found to influence prognosis, disease severity and progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Material(s) and Method(s):

52 patients with MS (30 RRMS and 22 Progressive MS) and 35 age, sex matched healthy controls were recruited. They all underwent full clinical assessment and CSF level of CHI3L1. Comparisons were made between patients and controls concerning CSF level of CHI3L1 and correlations between CSF level of CHI3L1 and disability and progression parameters in MS patients.

Result(s):

Patients with MS had higher CSF level of CHI3L1 (p=<0.001) than controls. Patients with progressive MS had higher levels than RRMS (p=<0.001). There were positive correlations between age of disease onset, disease duration, number of attacks and CSF levels of CHI3L1. Also, CSF levels of CHI3L1 correlated significantly with EDSS, performance in MMSE and BICAMS and lesion load in MRI brain and spine. A cut off value of 154 ng / ml have been proposed as a cut off point between RRMS and progressive MS patients.

Conclusion(s):

CHI3L1 can be considered as a biomarker of disease progression. its higher levels were associated with more severe and disabling disease. this could help as an objective parameter in DMD choice decision.