Serum and cerebrospinal fluid phosphorylated neurofilament heavy protein concentrations in equine neurodegenerative diseases.

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Phosphorylated Neurofilament Heavy Protein as a Biomarker in Equine Neurodegeneration Phosphorylated neurofilament heavy protein (pNfH) has emerged as a sensitive biomarker for neuronal damage in human neurodegenerative conditions, yet its diagnostic value in equine neurodegenerative diseases—particularly equine neuroaxonal dystrophy and equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM)—remains unexplored. Edwards and colleagues measured serum and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of pNfH in horses with various neurodegenerative conditions and healthy controls to establish reference values and assess whether pNfH could aid clinical diagnosis. The research identified elevated pNfH concentrations in both serum and CSF of affected horses, with CSF levels showing greater sensitivity for detecting neurodegeneration than serum levels, and specific elevation patterns distinguishing different disease presentations. For practitioners, these findings suggest pNfH could serve as an objective, quantifiable biomarker to support clinical diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease, potentially enabling earlier intervention and more accurate prognostication, though further validation across larger populations will be needed before routine implementation in practice.

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Key Findings

• •This study evaluates phosphorylated neurofilament heavy protein (pNfH) concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of horses with neurodegenerative diseases for the first time
• •pNfH concentrations have not previously been characterized in horses with eNAD/EDM, establishing a research gap in biomarker evaluation

Conditions Studied

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