Background Huntington's Disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative genetic disorder characterised by motor dysfunction, cognitive decline and psychiatric disturbance. Although HD is not traditionally thought of as an inflammatory disorder, it has been shown that there is a parallel immune activation in CNS and the periphery that can be seen throughout the course of the disease (Björkqvist et al, J Exp Med 2008). The cytokines that are increased earliest in the disease course are IL-6 and IL-8, both of which are involved in the innate immune response.

Aims The aim of this study is to investigate whether components of innate immunity may serve as biomarkers of disease progression in HD.

Methods/Techniques We investigated the potential of several components of innate immunity, such as S100 proteins and complement factors, as biomarkers in HD by measuring their levels in plasma from healthy controls, premanifest HD and early HD subjects. The plasma samples were obtained from the TRACK-HD study.

Results/Outcome S100A12 and calprotectin were increased in moderate HD compared with healthy controls. Levels of clusterin, complement factors H, 3, 3a, 4, 4a, 5, 5a and 9, α-2 macroglobulin, and α1-antitrypsin did not differ between healthy controls and HD subjects.

Conclusion Of the analytes tested in this study, none showed potential as a biomarker in early stages of HD.