A blood test might predict when multiple sclerosis patients are about to suffer a relapse in their symptoms, a new study says.
Blood levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain rise significantly in MS patients up to a year before they have a relapse, researchers reported Monday at a meeting of the European Academy of Neurology in Helsinki.
This sort of early detection can help doctors prepare for a relapse, ensuring timely treatment and potentially slowing the progression of MS, researchers said.
"Our findings significantly support the idea that serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) has real potential for integration into routine monitoring of MS," lead researcher Maria Martinez-Serrat, a doctoral student at the Medical University of Graz in Austria, said in a news release.
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