Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35951535›Full record

ArticleAnnals of clinical and translational neurology2022

Glial fibrillary acidic protein in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with spinal muscular atrophy.

Maren Freigang, Petra Steinacker, Claudia D Wurster, Olivia Schreiber-Katz, Alma Osmanovic, Susanne Petri, Jan C Koch, Kevin Rostásy, André Huss, Hayrettin Tumani and 6 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Application of Biomarkers in Spinal Muscular Atrophy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 8 institutions in 2 countries.

Maren Freigang *Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0941-6075
Petra Steinacker *Department of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale), Halle (Saale), Germany.
Claudia D WursterDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Olivia Schreiber-KatzDepartment of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Alma OsmanovicDepartment of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Susanne PetriDepartment of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Jan C KochDepartment of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Kevin RostásyDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital Datteln, University Witten/Herdecke, Datteln, Germany.
André HussDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Hayrettin TumaniDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Benedikt WinterDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
Björn FalkenburgerDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Albert C LudolphDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Markus OttoDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale), Halle (Saale), Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4273-4267
Andreas Hermann *Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht-Kossel", Department of Neurology, and Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-7364-7791
René Günther *Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Universität Ulm · DEGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases · DEMedizinische Hochschule Hannover · DEHeidelberg University · DEMetropolitan University · BDUniversitätsmedizin Göttingen · DEUniversity Hospital in Halle · DEWitten/Herdecke University · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveActivated astroglia is involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases and has also been described in animal models of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Given the urgent need of biomarkers for treatment monitoring of new RNA-modifying and gene replacement therapies in SMA, we examined glial fibrillary acidic protein concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (cGFAP) as a marker of astrogliosis in SMA.

methods58 adult patients and 21 children with genetically confirmed 5q-associated SMA from four German motor neuron disease specialist care centers and 30 age- and sex-matched controls were prospectively included in this study. cGFAP was measured and correlated to motor performance and disease severity. Additionally, we compared cGFAP with neurofilament light chain concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (cNfL).

resultscGFAP concentrations did not differ from controls but showed higher levels in more severely affected patients after adjustment for patients' age. Normalized cNfL values were associated with disease severity. Within 14 months of nusinersen treatment, cGFAP concentrations did not change, while cNfL decreased significantly.

interpretationcGFAP is not an outstanding biomarker in SMA, but might support the hypothesis that glial activation is involved in SMA pathology. Unlike previously suggested, cNfL may be a promising biomarker also in adult patients with SMA, which should be subject to further investigations.

Indexed as

Muscular Atrophy, SpinalNeurodegenerative DiseasesBiomarkersGlial Fibrillary Acidic ProteinHumansIntermediate FilamentsBiomarkersGlial Fibrillary Acidic Protein

Identifiers

PMID35951535
PMCPMC9463944
OpenAlexW4291020197

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.