Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41280940›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Prognostic value of kappa free light chain index in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Martin Schmidauer, Klaus Berek, Michael Auer, Gabriel Bsteh, Paola Cavalla, Franziska Di Pauli, Massimiliano Di Filippo, Florian Deisenhammer, Andreja Emeršič, Fabian Föttinger and 16 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

26 authors.

Martin SchmidauerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Klaus BerekDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Michael AuerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Gabriel BstehDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Paola CavallaMultiple Sclerosis Center and Neurologia I U, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Azienda Ospedaliero - Universitaria (AOU) Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy.
Franziska Di PauliDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Massimiliano Di FilippoSection of Neurology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Florian DeisenhammerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Andreja EmeršičDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Fabian FöttingerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Lorenzo GaetaniSection of Neurology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Michaela HasslerFH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
Nik KrajncDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Dejan MilosavljevicFH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
Markus PonleitnerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Thor PetersenSygehus Sønderjylland, Department of Regional Health Research, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Hadersleben, Denmark.
Stefan PresslauerDepartment of Neurology, Klinikum Ottakring, Vienna, Austria.
Igal RosensteinDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Uroš RotDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Caroline Winther TørringDepartment of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Domizia VecchioNeurology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, Maggiore della Carità University Hospital, Novara, Italy.
Marco VercellinoMultiple Sclerosis Center and Neurologia I U, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Azienda Ospedaliero - Universitaria (AOU) Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy.
Tobias ZrzavyDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Anne ZinganellDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Janette WaldeDepartment of Statistics, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Harald HegenDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The kappa free light chain (κ-FLC) index is a well-established biomarker in multiple sclerosis (MS). While the prognostic value of the κ-FLC index has been demonstrated in early relapsing-remitting MS, its prognostic value in primary progressive MS (PPMS) has not yet been investigated. Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective cohort study, patients diagnosed with PPMS with diagnostic lumbar puncture and clinical follow-up of at least 12 months were recruited from nine MS centers across five countries. At baseline, age, sex, disease duration, and the number of T2 hyperintense (T2L) and contrast-enhancing T1 lesions (CEL) on MRI were determined. κ-FLC was measured using nephelometry/turbidimetry, and the κ-FLC index was calculated as (CSF κ-FLC/serum κ-FLC)/albumin quotient. At follow-up, the occurrence of disability progression and the administration of disease-modifying treatment (DMT) were registered. The primary endpoint was time to disability progression. Results: A total of 121 PPMS patients were included with a median age of 53 years (25th-75th percentile: 46-59) and a balanced sex distribution (48.8% female). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed no significant association between the κ-FLC index and disability progression [hazard ratio (HR) 1.0, p = 0.950]. Prior use of DMT (HR 0.60, p = 0.023) and brain T2L > 9 at baseline (HR 2.22, p = 0.026) were significantly associated with disability progression. The remaining covariates, including age, sex, disease duration, and CEL, showed no significant associations. Conclusion: The κ-FLC index does not predict disability progression in PPMS, contrasting its growing role as a prognostic biomarker in relapsing MS. This highlights phenotypic differences in MS pathophysiology and underscores the need for prognostic biomarkers in PPMS.

Indexed as

Immunoglobulin kappa-ChainsMultiple Sclerosis, Chronic ProgressiveAdultBiomarkersDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisRetrospective StudiesBiomarkersImmunoglobulin kappa-Chainscerebrospinal fluidkappa free light chainmultiple sclerosisprimary progressiveprognostic biomarker

Identifiers

PMID41280940
PMCPMC12634365

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