Neurofilament Light Chain Is a Promising Biomarker in Alcohol Dependence
Background: Alcohol dependence, a global public health problem, leads to structural and functional damage in the brain. Alcohol dependence patients present complex and varied clinical manifestations and live with general complaints existing in contemporary society, making most people with alcohol de...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754969/full |
| _version_ | 1830283382543613952 |
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| author | Yanfei Li Ranran Duan Zhe Gong Lijun Jing Tian Zhang Yong Zhang Yanjie Jia |
| author_facet | Yanfei Li Ranran Duan Zhe Gong Lijun Jing Tian Zhang Yong Zhang Yanjie Jia |
| author_sort | Yanfei Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Alcohol dependence, a global public health problem, leads to structural and functional damage in the brain. Alcohol dependence patients present complex and varied clinical manifestations and live with general complaints existing in contemporary society, making most people with alcohol dependence hard to identify. Therefore, it is important to find potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and evaluation of alcohol dependence. In the study, we explored potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases and evaluated brain structural changes in alcohol dependence patients.Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELSA) was employed to detect the expression of serum nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and single-molecule array (Simoa) assay was used to detect the expression of serum neurofilament light (NfL) in 50 alcohol dependence patients and 50 controls with no drinking history. Alcohol consumption was measured by standard drinks. Neuropsychological assessments, including the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7), and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), were conducted to evaluate cognitive function and psychological state. The degree of white matter lesions (WMLs) was rated using the Fazekas scale based on magnetic resonance imaging analysis. White matter structure was quantified using the voxel-based morphometry method. The correlations between NLRP3 levels, NfL levels, neuropsychological dysfunction, the degree of WMLs, and white matter volume (WMV) were analyzed in alcohol dependence patients.Results: Serum NLRP3 and NfL levels were higher in the alcohol dependence group. NLRP3 levels were irrelevant to monthly alcohol assumption as well as to the MoCA, PSQI, GAD-7, PHQ-9, and Fazekas scale scores and WMV. NfL levels were positively correlated with the PSQI and PHQ-9 scores as well as the degree of WMLs and negatively correlated with the MoCA scores and WMV. No associations were evident between NfL and monthly alcohol assumption and GAD-7 scores in the alcohol dependence group.Conclusion: This study supports the potential value of serum NfL as a non-invasive biomarker in alcohol dependence. The association with neuropsychological dysfunction and degree of WMLs has implications to use NfL as a promising biomarker to assess the severity of brain damage as well as the progression and prognosis of alcohol dependence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T02:56:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e65768aa679e46adbbb090e243e77dcb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T02:56:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-e65768aa679e46adbbb090e243e77dcb2022-12-21T20:38:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402021-11-011210.3389/fpsyt.2021.754969754969Neurofilament Light Chain Is a Promising Biomarker in Alcohol DependenceYanfei Li0Ranran Duan1Zhe Gong2Lijun Jing3Tian Zhang4Yong Zhang5Yanjie Jia6Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, ChinaBackground: Alcohol dependence, a global public health problem, leads to structural and functional damage in the brain. Alcohol dependence patients present complex and varied clinical manifestations and live with general complaints existing in contemporary society, making most people with alcohol dependence hard to identify. Therefore, it is important to find potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and evaluation of alcohol dependence. In the study, we explored potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases and evaluated brain structural changes in alcohol dependence patients.Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELSA) was employed to detect the expression of serum nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and single-molecule array (Simoa) assay was used to detect the expression of serum neurofilament light (NfL) in 50 alcohol dependence patients and 50 controls with no drinking history. Alcohol consumption was measured by standard drinks. Neuropsychological assessments, including the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7), and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), were conducted to evaluate cognitive function and psychological state. The degree of white matter lesions (WMLs) was rated using the Fazekas scale based on magnetic resonance imaging analysis. White matter structure was quantified using the voxel-based morphometry method. The correlations between NLRP3 levels, NfL levels, neuropsychological dysfunction, the degree of WMLs, and white matter volume (WMV) were analyzed in alcohol dependence patients.Results: Serum NLRP3 and NfL levels were higher in the alcohol dependence group. NLRP3 levels were irrelevant to monthly alcohol assumption as well as to the MoCA, PSQI, GAD-7, PHQ-9, and Fazekas scale scores and WMV. NfL levels were positively correlated with the PSQI and PHQ-9 scores as well as the degree of WMLs and negatively correlated with the MoCA scores and WMV. No associations were evident between NfL and monthly alcohol assumption and GAD-7 scores in the alcohol dependence group.Conclusion: This study supports the potential value of serum NfL as a non-invasive biomarker in alcohol dependence. The association with neuropsychological dysfunction and degree of WMLs has implications to use NfL as a promising biomarker to assess the severity of brain damage as well as the progression and prognosis of alcohol dependence.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754969/fullNLRP3NfLalcohol dependencebiomarkerwhite matter lesionsgray matter volume |
| spellingShingle | Yanfei Li Ranran Duan Zhe Gong Lijun Jing Tian Zhang Yong Zhang Yanjie Jia Neurofilament Light Chain Is a Promising Biomarker in Alcohol Dependence Frontiers in Psychiatry NLRP3 NfL alcohol dependence biomarker white matter lesions gray matter volume |
| title | Neurofilament Light Chain Is a Promising Biomarker in Alcohol Dependence |
| title_full | Neurofilament Light Chain Is a Promising Biomarker in Alcohol Dependence |
| title_fullStr | Neurofilament Light Chain Is a Promising Biomarker in Alcohol Dependence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neurofilament Light Chain Is a Promising Biomarker in Alcohol Dependence |
| title_short | Neurofilament Light Chain Is a Promising Biomarker in Alcohol Dependence |
| title_sort | neurofilament light chain is a promising biomarker in alcohol dependence |
| topic | NLRP3 NfL alcohol dependence biomarker white matter lesions gray matter volume |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754969/full |
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