Profiling blood-based neural biomarkers and cytokines in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model of multiple sclerosis using single molecule array technology

Abstract

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a preclinical animal model widely used to study multiple sclerosis (MS). Blood-based cytokines and neural biomarkers are predictors of neurodegeneration, disease activity, and disability in patients with MS. However, understudied confounding factors cause variation in reports on EAE across animal strains/studies, limiting the utility of these biomarkers for predicting disease activity. In this study, we investigated blood- based analyte profiles, including neural markers (NFL and GFAP) and cytokines (IL-6, IL-17, IL- 12p70, IL-10, and TNF-), in two clinically distinct EAE models: relapsing-remitting (RR)-EAE and chronic-EAE. Ultrasensitive single-molecule array technology (SIMOA, Quanterix) was used to profile the analytes in blood plasma of mice at the acute, chronic, and progressive phases of disease. In both models, NFL was substantially increased during post-disease onset at the peak, chronic, and progressive phases, with pronounced increase in chronic-EAE. Leakage of GFAP into peripheral blood was also greater after disease onset in both EAE models, especially in the acute phase of chronic-EAE. Among all cytokines, only IL-10 had consistently lower levels in both EAE models throughout the course of disease. This study suggests NFL, GFAP, and IL-10 as potential translational predictors of disease activity in EAE, making them potential candidates for surrogate markers for preclinical testing of therapeutic interventions in animal models of MS.