Axonal and glial biomarkers of peripheral neuropathy
| Biomarker | Disease groups studied | Potential clinical utility | Technologies | Neuropathy specific | Monitoring | Prognostic |
| Axonal | ||||||
| Neurofilament light chain (NfL) | GBS, CIDP, CMT, hTTR amyloidosis, AL amyloid neuropathy, CIPN, critical illness neuro-myopathy, vasculitic neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, autoimmune nodopathies, and at least 77 other diseases.98 The number is expected to increase. | GBS, MND, MS, CIDP, hTTR amyloidosis | ELISA, ECL, Simoa, PEA | 0 | ++ | +++ |
| Neurofilament heavy chain (NfH) | Diabetic neuropathy, CMT, small fibre neuropathy, ALS, MS | Suggested in ALS, MS | ELISA, ECL, Simoa, PEA | 0 | + | + |
| Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) | Diabetic neuropathy | ? | ELISA, ECL | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peripherin | GBS, CIDP | GBS | Simoa | ++ | ? | ? |
| Total tau (T-tau) | GBS, CIDP, PDN, MMN | GBS | ELISA, CLEIA | 0 | ? | ? |
| Glial | ||||||
| Transmembrane Protease Serine 5 (TMPRSS5) | CMT1A | ? | ELISA, PEA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) | Vasculitic neuropathy, toxic-alcoholic neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, MMN | ? | ELISA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sphingomyelin | CIDP, GBS | ? | Fluorescence-based assay | + | 0 | 0 |
Degree of neuropathy specificity and monitoring or prognostic utility are graded as 0, +, ++, +++, ? (unknown).
AL, amyloid light chain; ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; CIDP, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy; CIPN, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy; CLEIA, chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassays; CMT, Charcot-Marie-Tooth; ECL, electrochemiluminescence; GBS, Guillain-Barré syndrome; hTTR, hereditary transthyretin; MMN, multifocal motor neuropathy; MS, multiple sclerosis; PDN, paraproteinaemic demyelinating neuropathies; PEA, proximity extension assays.