blood tubes

Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL) Test

NfL is a well-studied blood biomarker test that is now widely available through Labcorp for assessing neuronal damage from neurodegenerative diseases and sports-related concussion.

Affordable, non-invasive blood biomarkers for faster neurological answers

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a neuron-specific protein routinely released into the extracellular space. NfL test levels rise above baseline in response to neuronal injury and neurodegeneration. NfL has been widely studied and has demonstrated utility for various neurodegenerative diseases1, including:

Multiple Sclerosis

NfL has been widely studied as a marker of disease progression, treatment efficacy, and clinical outcomes .1,2

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Alzheimer’s Disease

Elevated NfL levels can be a predictor of disease progression in symptomatic patients with subjective cognitive decline .3

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Parkinson’s Disease

NfL levels correlate with disease severity and motor and cognitive decline.4,5

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

NfL levels can have diagnostic and prognostic value for symptomatic patients6 and distinguish early onset ALS patients from those with other neurologic diseases.7

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Spinocerebellar Ataxias

NfL can help stratify preataxic individuals with regard to onset and facilitate early detection of neurodegeneration.8

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Concussion recovery

NfL can be used in conjunction with clinical observation, as a primary biomarker to assess return to play in concussed athletes.9-11

NfL Test Interpretation

NfL levels in healthy patients and are known to increase with age.12,13 Labcorp has established reference intervals by age groups to facilitate interpretation of NfL results. 

140455 Neurofilament Light Chain, Serum
140555 Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma

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NfL in Real-World Clinical Settings

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References

  1. Khalil M, Teunissen CE, Otto M et al. Neurofilaments as biomarkers in neurological disorders. Nat Rev Neurol. 2018;14(10):577-589.
  2. Thebault S, Booth RA, Rush CA et al. Serum Neurofilament Light Chain Measurement in MS: Hurdles to Clinical Translation. Front Neurosci. 2021 Mar 25; 15:654942. 
  3. Ebenau J, Pelkmans W, Verberk IMW, et.al. Association of CSF, Plasma, and Imaging Markers of Neurodegeneration With Clinical Progression in People With Subjective Cognitive Decline. Neurology. 2022, Publish Ahead of Print, DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200035. 
  4. Lin CH, Li CH, Yang KC et al. Blood NfL: A biomarker for disease severity and progression in Parkinson disease. Neurology. 2019;93(11):e1104-e1111. 
  5. Halloway S, Desai P, Beck T, et.al. Association of Neurofilament Light With the Development and Severity of Parkinson Disease. Neurology. 2022; 98:e2185-e2193.
  6. Verde F, Steinacker P, Weishaupt JH, et al. Neurofilament light chain in serum for the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 2019; 90:157-164. 
  7.  Feneberg E, Oeckl P, Steinacker P, et.al. Multicenter evaluation of neurofilaments in early symptom onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurology. 2018; 90:e22-30. 
  8. Wilke C, Mengel D, Schöls L, et.al. Levels of Neurofilament Light at the Preataxic and Ataxic Stages of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1. Neurology. 2022; 98:e1985-e1996. 
  9. Shahim P, Tegner Y, Marklund N, et.al. Neurofilament light and tau as blood biomarkers for sports-related concussion. Neurology. 2018; 90:e1780-e1788. 
  10. McDonald SJ, O’Brien WT, Symons GF, et.al. Prolonged elevation of serum neurofilament light after concussion in male Australian football players. Biomarker Research. 2021. 9:4. 
  11. Karantali E, Kazis D, McKenna J, et.al. Neurofilament light chain in patientswith a concussion or head impacts: asystematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery. 2021, 8 May. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-021-01693-1. 
  12. Hviid CVB, Knudsen CS, and Parkner T. Reference interval and preanalytical properties of serum neurofilament light chain in Scandinavian adults. Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation. 2020; 80(4), 291-295. 
  13. Khalil M, Pirpamer L, Hofer E, et.al. Serum neurofilament light levels in normal aging and their association with morphologic brain changes. Nature Communications. 2020; 11:812.

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