Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41553539›Full record

ArticleClinical and experimental medicine2026

Neuronal injury biomarkers GFAP and neurofilament light chains (NfL) are associated with neurotoxicity and endothelial dysfunction in adult patients treated with antiCD19 CART cells.

Eugenio Galli, Anna Modoni, Luca Battistini, Monica Rossi, Gisella Guerrera, Ilaria Pansini, Alessandro Corrente, Stefan Hohaus, Patrizia Chiusolo, Federica Sorà and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and experimental medicine, 2026. 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

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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. Article
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

12 authors.

Eugenio Galli *Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Ematologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy. eugenio.galli@policlinicogemelli.it.
Anna Modoni *Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Luca BattistiniUnità di Neuroimmunologia, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
Monica RossiDipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Ematologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Gisella GuerreraUnità di Neuroimmunologia, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
Ilaria PansiniDipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Ematologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Alessandro CorrenteSezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Stefan HohausDipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Ematologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Patrizia ChiusoloDipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Ematologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Federica SoràDipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Ematologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Paolo CalabresiDipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Simona SicaDipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Ematologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy. simona.sica@unicatt.it.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies targeting CD19 have revolutionized the treatment of B-cell malignancies, but their use is frequently complicated by immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). The underlying mechanisms include endothelial dysfunction, blood–brain barrier disruption, and neuroinflammation. Circulating biomarkers of neuronal and astroglial injury, such as neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), may provide insight into ICANS pathophysiology and serve as predictive tools. We conducted a retrospective study of 34 adult patients treated with anti-CD19 CAR-T cells for B-cell malignancies. Serum NfL and GFAP were measured at infusion (day 0) and day 7 using ultrasensitive immunoassays. Baseline GFAP and NfL levels correlated with endothelial activation markers, including mEASIX and lactate dehydrogenase, but not with demographic variables. ICANS of any grade occurred in 34% of patients, and baseline levels of both GFAP and NfL were significantly associated with ICANS development and with steroid requirement. In contrast, changes in biomarker concentrations between day 0 and day 7 were not statistically significant overall, although individual variability was observed. At day 7, elevated NfL levels correlated with laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), prolonged clotting time, and C-reactive protein elevation. GFAP elevation was also linked to coagulopathy, particularly prolonged clotting time. Baseline serum levels of GFAP and NfL predict the risk of ICANS and the need for corticosteroid intervention in CAR-T-treated adults, supporting their role as biomarkers of pre-existing neuronal susceptibility. Furthermore, their association with coagulation abnormalities underscores the interplay between neurotoxicity, endothelial stress, and systemic inflammation. These findings highlight the potential clinical utility of integrating GFAP and NfL into multimodal biomarker panels to improve risk stratification and management of CAR-T neurotoxicity.

Indexed as

Glial Fibrillary Acidic ProteinImmunotherapy, AdoptiveLeukemia, B-CellLymphoma, B-CellNeurofilament ProteinsNeurotoxicity SyndromesAdultAgedAntigens, CD19BiomarkersBlood-Brain BarrierFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedReceptors, Chimeric AntigenAntigens, CD19BiomarkersGFAP protein, humanGlial Fibrillary Acidic Proteinneurofilament protein LNeurofilament ProteinsReceptors, Chimeric AntigenChimeric antigen receptor t-cells (CAR-T)GFAPICANSNeurofilament (NfL)Neuronal damage

Identifiers

PMID41553539
PMCPMC12847193

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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.