Biomarker Identification in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction: Approximately 80% of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a positive response to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT). Markers that may predict the transplant outcome are necessary. The objective of this work is to identify markers that may refine the selection of patients with multiple sclerosis who could benefit from aHSCT. Methods: We evaluated the levels of six biomarkers in the peripheral blood of patients with MS before aHSCT. The design of this study is cross-sectional; patients were divided into two transplant-responses-at-12-months groups, responders (ΔEDSS < 0) and non-responders (ΔEDSS > 0). Pre-transplant samples were used to assess the different markers. Results: Thirty-four patients were enrolled: fourteen were non-responders and twenty were responders to aHSCT. Among the evaluated biomarkers, a significant difference was only detected in miR-146a levels, with increased values in the non-responder group. Conclusions: The biomarker miR146a could be useful to evaluate the response to aHSCT in patients with MS.