DMF treatment response is reflected by lower circulating lymphocytes and specific lymphocyte subsets. Changes in the cellular immune profiles under DMF treatment are clinically relevant and might serve as a surrogate marker of treatment response.

Objective: The impact of increased C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio on intra-hospital mortality has been investigated among patients admitted to general intensive care units (ICU). However, it was not investigated among patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study aimed to investigate the impact of CRP/albumin ratio on intra-hospital mortality in patients with ICH. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 379 ICH patients admitted between 02/2008 and 12/2017. Blood samples were drawn upon admission and the patients’ demographic, medical, and radiological data were collected. The identification of the independent prognostic factors for intra-hospital mortality was calculated using binary logistic regression and COX regression analysis. Results: Multivariate regression analysis shows that higher CRP/albumin ratio (odds ratio (OR) = 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.193–2.317, p = 0.003) upon admission is an independent predictor of intra-hospital mortality. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that an increase of 1 in the CRP/albumin ratio was associated with a 15.3% increase in the risk of intra-hospital mortality (hazard ratio = 1.153, 95% CI = 1.005–1.322, p = 0.42). Furthermore, a CRP/albumin ratio cut-off value greater than 1.22 was associated with increased intra-hospital mortality (Youden’s Index = 0.19, sensitivity = 28.8, specificity = 89.9, p = 0.007). Conclusions: A CRP/albumin ratio greater than 1.22 upon admission was significantly associated with intra-hospital mortality in the ICH patients.

ObjectiveWe explored the incremental value of adding multiple disease activity biomarkers in CSF and serum for distinguishing MRI-based benign from aggressive MS in early disease course.MethodsNinety-three patients diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or early MS were divided into 3 nonoverlapping severity groups defined by objective MRI criteria. Ninety-seven patients with noninflammatory neurologic disorders and 48 patients with other inflammatory neurologic diseases served as controls. Leukocyte subsets in the CSF were analyzed by flow cytometry. CSF neurofilament light chain (NfL) and chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) levels were measured by ELISA. Serum NfL levels were examined using single molecule array technology.ResultsCSF CD20+/CD14+ ratios and NfL levels in CSF and serum were significantly different between high and low MRI severity groups, whereas no difference was found for CSF CHI3L1 levels. NfL levels in CSF and serum highly correlated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that the cumulative sums combining CSF CD20+/CD14+ ratios and NfL levels in serum or CSF considerably improved diagnostic accuracy. A composite score built from these 2 cumulative sums best distinguished MRI severity. These findings were validated by support vector machine analysis, which confirmed that the accuracy of the cumulative sums and composite score outperforms single biomarkers.ConclusionPatients with extreme manifestations of CIS or early MS defined by strict MRI parameters can be best distinguished by combining markers of intrathecal B-cell accumulation and axonal damage. This could stratify individual treatment decisions toward a more personalized immunotherapy.

Objective: Cardiopulmonary (CP) complications are well-known phenomena in patients with isolated traumatic brain injury (iTBI) that can lead to tissue hypoperfusion and hypoxia. Serum lactate level is a well-known biomarker, indicating these systemic dysregulations in various diseases, but this has not been investigated in iTBI patients so far. The current study evaluates the association between serum lactate levels upon admission and CP parameters within the first 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) treatment in iTBI patients. Patients and Methods: 182 patients with iTBI who were admitted to our neurosurgical ICU between December 2014 and December 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. Serum lactate levels on admission, demographic, medical, and radiological data upon admission, as well as several CP parameters within the first 24 h of ICU treatment, were analyzed, as well as the functional outcome at discharge. The total study population was dichotomized into patients with an elevated serum lactate level (lactate-positive) and patients with a low serum lactate level (lactate-negative) upon admission. Results: 69 patients (37.9%) had an elevated serum lactate level upon admission, which was significantly associated with a lower Glasgow Coma Scale score (p = 0.04), a higher head AIS score (p = 0.03), and a higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (p = 0.01) upon admission, as well as a higher modified Rankin Scale score (p = 0.002) and a lower Glasgow Outcome Scale score (p < 0.0001) at discharge. Furthermore, the lactate-positive group required a significantly higher norepinephrine application rate (NAR; p = 0.04) and a higher fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2; p = 0.04) to maintain the defined CP parameters within the first 24 h. Conclusion: ICU-admitted iTBI patients with elevated serum lactate levels upon admission required higher CP support within the first 24 h of ICU treatment after iTBI. Serum lactate may be a helpful biomarker for improving ICU treatment in the early stages.