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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #402042
Research Project: Elucidating the Pathobiology and Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Preliminary results for neurofilament light chain as a serum biomarker for chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer

Author
item Cassmann, Eric
item QUAZETTA, BROWN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item LAMBERT, ZOE - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item FRESE, LEXI - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Greenlee, Justin

Submitted to: Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2023
Publication Date: 5/30/2023
Citation: Cassmann, E.D., Quazetta, B., Lambert, Z., Frese, L., Greenlee, J.J. 2023. Preliminary results for neurofilament light chain as a serum biomarker for chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer (abstract). Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium Proceedings. 4th International Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium, May 30-June 3, 2023, Denver, Colorado.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) is elevated in neurodegenerative diseases including human prion diseases and sheep with clinical scrapie. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum concentrations of NfL in white-tailed deer (WTD) with chronic wasting disease. Ten WTD with the wild-type prion protein genotype were naso-orally inoculated with 1 mL of a 10% w/v brain homogenate (0.1 gram) from a WTD with chronic wasting disease (CWD). Serum samples were collected every three months post-inoculation and immediately prior to euthanasia. To date, eight out of ten inoculated WTD have reached clinical endpoints for CWD and had positive immunoassay results for PrPSc. For the eight deceased WTD, the average incubation period was 24 months (range: 13-33, median 21). Three WTD developed aspiration pneumonia and died suddenly prior to collection of blood. Serum from thirty WTD in the NADC breeding herd were used to establish baseline control levels for NfL. The average serum concentration of NfL in the control population was 6.7 pg/mL (range: 2.1-15.9, median: 5.2). Increases in serum NfL in WTD with CWD was not consistent between deer. In WTD with increased NfL, elevations occurred in the final 25% of the incubation period. The highest endpoint NfL concentration was 395.5 pg/mL in a WTD with a 33.4-month incubation period. In summary, NfL as a biomarker of neurodegeneration in WTD is variable and not all WTD demonstrate large increases in serum; although, some WTD have high endpoint serum NfL levels.