Objectives: This study aimed to examine the levels of the macrophage marker sCD163 and other biomarkers at the time of diagnosis of patients with either clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and assess relation to clinical indicators of prognosis, disease activity (DA), and changes in the levels of these biomarkers at follow-up.
Materials and methods: The clinical status and MRI were reevaluated in 56 patients more than 1 year after diagnosis with a median follow-up time of 2 years. Levels of biomarkers in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
Results: There was no significant difference in time to DA between patients with CIS and RRMS. A high sCD163 ratio (>0.07) was significantly (P = 0.04) associated with time to DA in the untreated patient group. In 21 patients reevaluated with serum and CSF samples, the sCD163 ratio levels decreased from 0.068 to 0.054 (P = 0.026) in the CIS/RRMS-treated group. The CSF CXCL13, CXCL13 ratio, CSF neurofilament light polypeptide and osteopontin levels also decreased significantly in the CIS/RRMS-treated group.
Conclusions: The levels of all biomarkers changed concurrently with MS treatment. The sCD163 ratio was identified as a potential novel marker for time to DA.
Keywords: Biomarker; cerebrospinal fluid; disease activity; multiple sclerosis; soluble CD163.