Calprotectin and neurofilament serum levels correlate with treatment response in myasthenia gravis under intensified therapy–A pilot study

Objective

New therapeutic options have recently emerged for patients with highly active, acetylcholine receptor antibody–positive (AChR-Ab+) generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), including fast-acting, endplate-protective agents such as complement C5 inhibitors (C5-I) and neonatal Fc receptor inhibitors (FcRn-I). However, objective biomarkers beyond clinical scoring systems are lacking to guide individualized treatment decisions.

Methods

In this exploratory, prospective real-world study, we assessed serum calprotectin (sCLP) and serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels in a total of 22 AChR-Ab+ gMG patients, who were treatment-naïve for either C5-I or FcRn-I. Changes in biomarker levels were correlated with clinical response, as measured by the Myasthenia Gravis–Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score.

Results

We observed a correlation of changes in sCLP and sNfl with clinical treatment response to C5-I and FcRn-I therapies. Specifically, rising levels of sNfL and sCLP were associated with a poor treatment response, as measured by the MG-ADL score.

Conclusion

Our preliminary findings suggest that markers of systemic inflammation (such as sCLP) and local destruction of the neuromuscular junction (such as sNfL) may assist in treatment decision-making for gMG patients. Larger, multicenter studies are warranted to validate these results and define their clinical utility.

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