Table 2.
Factors influencing blood NfL levels in health and disease.
| Type of factor | Factor | Diagnosis | Association with NfL/ increase per unit | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic | Age (y) | HC |
r: 0.7, P < 0.0001 +0.8 ‐ 3.7% (range) By age category: 40‐50y: 0.9%; 50‐60y: 2.7%; >60y: 4.7% |
[49] |
| MS | +1.5 ‐ 1.8% (range) | [16, 32] | ||
| AD | r: 0.65, P < 0.001 | [29, 90] | ||
| ALS | r: 0.32, P: 0.065 | [101] | ||
| FTD |
r: 0.770, P < 0.0001 r: 0.327, P: 0.002 |
[132] [131] |
||
| PD |
r: 0.25, P < 0.001 r: 0.78, P < 0.0001 |
[92] [46] |
||
| AN | P < 0.0001 | [59] | ||
| Stroke | +7.6% | [118] | ||
| Sex | ALS | Higher in females, P < 0.0001 | [47, 52] | |
| Race/ethnicity | HC (DM2) | Higher in non‐Caucasian patients, P < 0.01 | [55] | |
| Cardiovascular risk factors and scores | Diabetes mellitus type 2 | AF | +62.5% in patients with diabetes, P < 0.05 | [56] |
| HbA1C | HC (DM2) | Increased by higher Hb1AC, P < 0.01 | [55] | |
| BMI | HC | Decreased with higher BMI, P < 0.01 | [58, 59] | |
| AN | Decreased with higher BMI, P: 6.9x10‐12 | [59] | ||
|
Systolic blood pressure |
HC (DM2) AD |
Increased with higher blood pressure, P < 0.01 Increased in hypertensive patients |
[55] [93] |
|
| CHA2DS2VASc | AF | +22.3% per score point | [56] | |
| Smoke | MS | +20% in smokers | [136] | |
|
Sport related traumatic brain injury |
Hockey | HC | Increased 1h after head trauma and further increasing over the next days | [20, 126] |
| Football | Increased during sport season, P < 0.001 | [123] | ||
| Soccer | +26% 1h after head trauma; +311% 22 days later | [125] | ||
| Box | Increased after bout and in recovery phase, P < 0.0001 | [20] | ||
| Physiological | Pregnancy | HC |
Increased postpregnancy, P < 0.0001 Increased during pregnancy, P < 0.001 |
[137] [61] |
| MS | Decreased during pregnancy, P < 0.001 | [62] | ||
| Blood–CSF barrier | Mixed patients’ group | Higher with higher Qalb/CSF flow but not correlated | [40] | |
| MS | Not correlated | [42] | ||
| Increased blood NfL with higher Qalb permeability, P < 0.001 | [41] | |||
| SMA | Not correlated | [43, 138] | ||
| GFR < 60ml/min per 1.73 m2 | HC (DM2) | Increased in patients with low GFR, P < 0.01 | [55] |
AD: Alzheimer disease; AF: atrial fibrillation; BBB: blood–brain barrier; CIS: clinically isolated syndrome; DM2: diabetes mellitus type 2; GFR: glomerular filtration rate; HbA1C: glycated hemoglobin; HC: healthy controls; MS: multiple sclerosis; qAlb: albumin quotient; SMA: spinal muscular atrophy; y: years