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The correlation between circulating inflammatory, oxidative stress, and neurotrophic factors level with the cognitive outcomes in multiple sclerosis patients

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Abstract

Introduction

Changes in the levels of circulating markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurotrophic factors might be a good candidate for the prediction of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, the correlation between the mentioned circulating markers with the Cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery (CANTAB) task outcomes was determined in MS patients.

Methods

The CANTAB (paired-associate learning (PAL), reaction time (RTI), rapid visual information processing (RVP), and spatial working memory tasks (SWM)) was completed by the patients. Accordingly, the serum levels of interferon-γ (INF-γ), C-reactive protein (CRP), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and the acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity were measured. Cognitive impairment status and the correlation between the circulating factors with the CANTAB outcomes were determined.

Results

The cognitively impaired (CI) patients appropriately differentiated from not cognitively impaired (NCI) ones using the CANTAB tasks. The serum levels of MDA, TAC, CRP, INF-γ, and GDNF correlated with the cognitive scores in MS patients (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, disease duration, and disability levels (covariates in a regression model), the MDA, INF-γ, and GDNF factors levels were statistically different between CI and NCI groups (p < 0.05).

Discussion

The mentioned markers might predict the cognitive impairment progress and be used as an index of its detection, in addition to neuropsychological assessments, in MS patients.

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Abbreviations

AChE:

Acetylcholine esterase

BDNF:

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor

CANTAB:

Cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery

CI:

Cognitively impaired

CIS:

Clinically isolated syndrome

CNTF:

Ciliary neurotrophic factor

CRP:

C-reactive protein

EDSS:

Expanded disability status scale

GDNF:

Glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor

INF-γ:

Interferon-γ

MACFIMS:

Minimal assessment of cognitive function in MS

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

MOT:

Motor screening task

MS:

Multiple sclerosis

NCI:

Not cognitively impaired

PAL:

Paired-associate learning

PBMCs:

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells

PCA:

Principal components analysis

PCs:

Principal components

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

RTI:

Reaction time

RVP:

Rapid visual information processing

SD:

Standard deviation

SDMT:

Symbol digit modalities test

SWM:

Spatial working memory

TAC:

Total antioxidant capacity

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Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Neurosciences Research Centre, TUOMS, Tabriz, Iran (grant no. 64051) to SS-E.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Mahnaz Talebi, Alireza Majdi, Ehsan Nasiri, Amirreza Naseri & Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad

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  1. Mahnaz Talebi
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  2. Alireza Majdi
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  3. Ehsan Nasiri
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  4. Amirreza Naseri
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  5. Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad
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Correspondence to Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad.

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Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of TUOMS (Approval No. IR.TBZMED.REC.1398.624).

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Also, informed written consent was obtained from all of the participants.

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Talebi, M., Majdi, A., Nasiri, E. et al. The correlation between circulating inflammatory, oxidative stress, and neurotrophic factors level with the cognitive outcomes in multiple sclerosis patients. Neurol Sci 42, 2291–2300 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04807-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04807-6

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