OMRF study finds new clues to diagnose MS relapse

OKLAHOMA CITY — New findings from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation may give doctors more certainty when diagnosing multiple sclerosis relapse in patients.

Someday, said OMRF scientist Bob Axtell, Ph.D., who led the study, the results could help detect a relapse sooner or perhaps even prevent it.

“That’s the goal: to identify relapse before inflammation causes damage within the brain,” Axtell said.

MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy tissues, resulting in inflammation that can cause vision issues, muscle spasms, tremors and paralysis. According to the National MS Society, the condition affects nearly 1 million Americans.

The disease is marked by periods of remission and relapse. Physicians diagnose a relapse with an MRI or by interpreting symptoms, said Gabriel Pardo, M.D., director of OMRF’s Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence, where more than 3,000 patients from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas receive treatment for the condition.

Diagnosis isn’t foolproof, however. Sometimes the inflammation-related neurological damage precedes the onset of symptoms. Other times, symptoms can disappear within 24 hours or result from an infection or unrelated condition. Neurologists call this a “pseudo-relapse.”

Recently, a blood protein called sNfl has emerged as a biomarker, or strong indication, of an MS relapse. But, says Axtell, monitoring MS activity with a single protein “has limitations.” Age, sex and other neurological conditions could affect the protein. And it may not behave the same way in all patients.