Serum Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Dynamics, Disease Progression, and Therapy Response in Multiple Sclerosis

Are serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels and their treatment-related changes associated with future progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) in multiple sclerosis (MS)? In 2 large real-world MS cohorts, elevated GFAP was associated with a higher risk of long- and short-term PIRA; reduction in GFAP z scores within the first 2 years of treatment was associated with a lower risk of subsequent PIRA. The findings point to elevated GFAP as a potential biomarker for the course of MS progression and the impact of therapy on progression, supporting its use in the treatment of individual patients and as an inclusion criterion and end point measure in clinical trials.

Corresponding Author: Jens Kuhle, MD, PhD, Multiple Sclerosis Centre and Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience, Neurology Departments of Biomedicine and Clinical Research, University Hospital and University of Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031 Basel (jens.kuhle@usb.ch).

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