# Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Serum Neurofilament Light Chain in Canine Spinal Cord Diseases

## TL;DR

Serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a useful biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring spinal cord diseases in dogs.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that serum NfL can differentiate between spinal cord diseases and monitor treatment outcomes in dogs.

## Key findings

- Serum NfL levels were significantly higher in dogs with spinal cord diseases compared to healthy dogs.
- NfL levels varied significantly between different spinal cord conditions, aiding in disease differentiation.
- Higher NfL levels in IVDH dogs correlated with poorer treatment response.

## Abstract

This study evaluated serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) as a biomarker in 46 healthy and 76 dogs with spinal cord diseases, including intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH), syringomyelia (SM), fibrocartilaginous embolism, and acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion. Serum NfL levels were significantly higher in dogs with spinal cord diseases (median, 91.10 pg/mL) than in healthy dogs (12.55 pg/mL; p < 0.0001), with an area under the curve of 0.91 for differentiation. Notably, NfL levels in dogs with SM (50.7 pg/mL) were significantly lower than in those with IVDH (99.3 pg/mL; p = 0.012) and other acute conditions (241.0 pg/mL; p = 0.002). For medically managed IVDH cases, higher NfL levels were associated with a poorer treatment response (p = 0.03). Serum NfL is a promising biomarker for neuroaxonal injury, aiding in diagnosis, disease differentiation, and monitoring treatment response.

This study evaluated serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) as a biomarker for spinal cord diseases in dogs, including 46 healthy dogs and 76 with conditions, such as intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH), syringomyelia (SM), fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE), and acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE). There was a significant difference in serum NfL levels between healthy dogs (12.55 pg/mL) and those with spinal cord diseases (91.10 pg/mL; p < 0.0001). The NfL level in dogs with SM (50.7 pg/mL) was significantly lower than that in dogs with IVDH (99.3 pg/mL; p = 0.012) and those with other diseases, including FCE and ANNPE (241.0 pg/mL; p = 0.002). The area under the curve for differentiating between dogs with spinal cord diseases and healthy dogs was 0.91, with an optimal NfL cutoff value of 30.31 pg/mL (sensitivity of 80.68%; specificity of 91.30%). For dogs with IVDH treated solely with medication, the serum NfL levels in the Poor and Static group (180.0 pg/mL) were significantly higher than those in the Partial and Good group (81.30 pg/mL) (p = 0.03). Serum NfL is a promising biomarker for neuroaxonal injury, aiding in differentiating SM from other spinal cord diseases and evaluating treatment response.