Objective: To investigate the correlation between serum NfL levels, selected peripheral inflammatory biomarkers, and clinical measures of disease severity and progression in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with considerable variability in clinical course and progression. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) has emerged as a sensitive biomarker of neuroaxonal injury. Increasing evidence also suggests that neuroinflammation contributes to PD pathophysiology. However, the relationship between NfL levels, peripheral inflammatory biomarkers, and clinical severity in PD remains insufficiently understood.

Method: This cross-sectional study included 74 patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (56% male; mean age 65.6 years; median Hoehn–Yahr stage 3 [1–5]; mean disease duration 6.4 years). Clinical severity was assessed using MDS-UPDRS and Hoehn–Yahr staging. Serum NfL was measured by high-sensitivity immunoassay. Peripheral inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, TNF-α) were analyzed using standard laboratory methods. Associations between biomarkers and clinical parameters were evaluated using Spearman correlation and multivariate regression adjusted for age, disease duration, and sex.

Results: Higher serum NfL levels were significantly associated with greater disease severity measured by total MDS-UPDRS scores (r = 0.44, p < 0.01) and more advanced Hoehn–Yahr stages. Among inflammatory markers, IL-6 showed a moderate correlation with motor symptom severity (r = 0.32, p = 0.02), while CRP demonstrated a weaker but significant association with overall clinical impairment. TNF-α levels were higher in patients with advanced stages but were not independent predictors after adjustment. Serum NfL also correlated with IL-6 (r = 0.30, p < 0.05), indicating a link between neurodegeneration and inflammation.

Conclusion: Serum NfL appears to be a useful biomarker reflecting neuroaxonal injury and clinical severity in Parkinson’s disease. Its association with inflammatory markers supports a role of systemic inflammation in disease progression. Combined biomarker assessment may improve disease monitoring and help identify patients at risk of faster progression.

References: Pedersen CC, et al. Serum neurofilament light at diagnosis predicts cognitive and motor decline in Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson’s Disease. 2024;10:124.

Gu L, Zhang Y, Chen H, et al. Predictive value of serum neurofilament light chain for cognitive progression in Parkinson’s disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 2024;16:1465016.

Hong CT, Wu D, et al. Plasma extracellular vesicle neurofilament light chain reflects motor progression in Parkinson’s disease. Frontiers in Neurology. 2024;15:1369210.

Hällqvist J, et al. Plasma proteomics identify biomarkers predicting Parkinson’s disease onset and progression. Nature Communications. 2024;15:48961.

Qu Y, Li Y, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of inflammatory biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson’s Disease. 2023;9:52.

Fu J, Chen S, Liu J, et al. Serum inflammatory cytokines and their correlation with clinical manifestations in Parkinson’s disease. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 2023;11:1104393.

Tansey MG, Romero-Ramos M. Inflammation and immune dysfunction in Parkinson disease. Nature Reviews Immunology. 2022;22:657-673.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/title-association-of-neurofilament-light-chain-and-peripheral-inflammatory-biomarkers-with-clinical-progression-in-parkinsons-disease/