SynthesisMultiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)2023
Cerebrospinal fluid kappa free light chains for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
63 citing papers in PubMed, 112 citations in OpenAlex.
- Special Issue "Molecular Advances in Biomarkers of Central Nervous System Diseases and Disorders".International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Intrathecal Plasma Cell Activity as Measured by the Kappa Free Light Chain Index Is Associated With Retinal Layer Atrophy in Early Multiple Sclerosis.European journal of neurology · 2026Article
- Applying the 2024-revised McDonald criteria for multiple sclerosis using conventional diagnostic tools: a single-centre prospective cohort study in Germany.EClinicalMedicine · 2026Article
- External validation of KFLC index threshold for multiple sclerosis diagnosis in a French cohort.Journal of neurology · 2026Article
- Intrathecal antibody synthesis - Reiber method revisited.BMC neurology · 2026Article
- Intrathecal immunoglobulin production in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system.Journal of translational autoimmunity · 2026Review
- Real-World Performance of CSF Kappa Free Light Chains in the 2024 McDonald Criteria.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2026Article
- CSF κ-Free light chain index in suspected multiple sclerosis: diagnostic performance vs. Oligoclonal bands and alignment with 2017/2024 McDonald criteria.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2026Article
- Kappa Index predicts disease activity and transition to high-efficacy therapies in multiple sclerosis.Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine · 2026Article
- Kappa Free Light Chains Reflect Treatment Response and Progression Independent of Focal Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis.European journal of neurology · 2026Article
- The Kappa Free Light Chains Index in Multiple Sclerosis: From Emerging Evidence to Clinical Application.Journal of neurochemistry · 2026Article
- Beyond oligoclonal bands: the independent role of kappa free light chains in the diagnostic workup of multiple sclerosis.Journal of neurology · 2026Article
- Intrathecal Kappa Free Light Chains in Relation to IgM Synthesis and MRZH Reaction in a Mixed Neurological Cohort.Journal of neurochemistry · 2026Article
- Kappa free light chain index in multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory CNS diseases: a pilot single-center study from Argentina.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Diagnostic value of the kappa free light chain index in multiple sclerosis under the 2024 CSF positivity criterion: a multicentre study in oligoclonal band-negative patients.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Kappa free light chain index in CSF diagnostics: the impact of different immunoglobulin isotypes.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Kappa free light chains in cerebrospinal fluid to detect inflammation - results from a multicentric prospective real-world study.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Kappa index: real-world study for assessing cut-off values that provide the best accuracy for multiple sclerosis diagnosis in patients with CIS.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Optimized Kappa-Index Test Protocol to Detect Intrathecal Immunoglobulin Synthesis in Multiple Sclerosis.European journal of neurology · 2025Article
- FCRL5, a B-Cell Marker With Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Value for Multiple Sclerosis.Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation · 2025Article
3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors at 11 institutions in 8 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIntrathecal immunoglobulin-G synthesis is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS), which can be detected by oligoclonal IgG bands (OCB) or by κ-free light chains (κ-FLC) in cerebrospinal fluid.
objectiveTo perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether κ-FLC index has similar diagnostic value to identify patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or MS compared to OCB, and to determine κ-FLC index cut-off.
methodsPubMed was searched for studies that assessed diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of κ-FLC index and OCB to discriminate CIS/MS patients from control subjects. Two reviewers following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines performed study eligibility assessment and data extraction. Findings from studies were analyzed with bivariate mixed models.
resultsA total of 32 studies were included in the meta-analysis to evaluate diagnostic value of κ-FLC index. Sensitivity and specificity ranged from 52% to 100% (weighted average: 88%) and 69% to 100% (89%) for κ-FLC index and from 37% to 100% (85%) and 74% to 100% (92%) for OCB. Mean difference of sensitivity and specificity between κ-FLC index and OCB was 2 and -4 percentage points. Diagnostic accuracy determined by mixed models revealed no significant difference between κ-FLC index and OCB. A discriminatory cut-off for κ-FLC index was determined at 6.1.
conclusionThe findings indicate that κ-FLC index has similar diagnostic accuracy in MS as OCB.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.