Patients who may have multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological disease that damages the insulation of brain and spinal cord nerve cells, could see new hope for an earlier diagnosis. A research team at Michigan State University has discovered evidence suggesting that a blood test can distinguish MS from other similar neurological conditions, which could allow for more accurate and early diagnoses for MS patients.
The First of Many Blood Test Studies
The results of the study were published in the medical journal EBioMedicine. The study is titled “An In Vitro Diagnostic for Multiple Sclerosis Based on C-peptide Binding to Erythrocytes” and provides small-scale test results that point to a fast and affordable way to screen for multiple sclerosis.
The study used a sample of 200 individuals who fit into one of three categories: a healthy control group, a group suffering from neurological conditions, and a group suffering specifically from multiple sclerosis. Researchers took a sample of blood from all 200 participants and tested them in a lab. The test sought to determine the level of added C-peptide to the blood that would bind to red blood cells.
Remarkably, the C-peptide bound to blood cells from patients with MS and correctly identified them 98.3% of the time. Not only does that make it an effective tool for diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, but it may also reveal new information about the disease.
Though research has not begun on what C-peptide's affinity for blood cells affected by MS may be, researchers do understand that it has been used to diagnose and is one of the body's natural treatments for Type 1 diabetes. It improves blood flow and carries zinc to red blood cells. Its action and presence in MS patients could help us figure out what factors cause and affect multiple sclerosis on a larger scale.
The minimally invasive blood test will have to go to larger trials at this point. If the blood test continues to diagnose patients in ratios even close to those it achieved in the small scale study, a new weapon in the fight against MS may have been discovered.
The Importance of Early MS Diagnosis
The current MS diagnosis process, usually performed by using a lumbar puncture (spinal tap), MRI, or an evoked potential test, can be lengthy and it can be challenging to achieve accurate results. While patients wait for test results, the disease can continue to cause internal damage to bodily systems and compromise use of important functions.
The primary concern of the current, slow-moving MS diagnosis procedure is irreversible long-term sequelae in patients with MS. As MS reduces the number of healthy brain and spinal cord cells, it creates a vulnerability to subsequent damage and conditions that begin with neurological damage.
MRI scans used to diagnose patients have consistently found significant axonal loss and brain atrophy. Axonal loss affects motor neuropathy which is used to perform everyday tasks from writing and typing to walking. Its deterioration happens in the beginning stages of multiple sclerosis, which raises the urgency of simple and early MS diagnosis.
Additionally, disease modifying agents show tremendous efficacy during the early stages of MS when compared to treatment in mid to late stages. Blood testing may pave the way for more advanced and efficient treatments during the beginning stages of MS.
Until then, awareness is the key. If you find you are suffering from any of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and are concerned that you may be affected, talk to a doctor about getting a diagnosis as quickly as possible. It could save your life.
