J Neurol . Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) values in a large cross-sectional population of children with asymptomatic to moderate COVID-19

[tetano]

J Neurol


. 2021 Apr 23.
doi: 10.1007/s00415-021-10554-1. Online ahead of print.
Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) values in a large cross-sectional population of children with asymptomatic to moderate COVID-19


Tobias Geis ¹ , Susanne Brandstetter ^{1 2} , Antoaneta A Toncheva ¹ , Otto Laub ³ , Georg Leipold ⁴ , Ralf Wagner ⁵ , Michael Kabesch ^{1 2} , Severin Kasser ⁶ , Jens Kuhle ^{# 7} , Sven Wellmann ^{# 8} , CoKiBa Study group



Collaborators, Affiliations

• PMID: 33893540
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-021-10554-1

Abstract

Background: Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is an established biomarker of neuro-axonal damage in multiple neurological disorders. Raised sNfL levels have been reported in adults infected with pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Levels in children infected with COVID-19 have not as yet been reported.
Objective: To evaluate whether sNfL is elevated in children contracting COVID-19.
Methods: Between May 22 and July 22, 2020, a network of outpatient pediatricians in Bavaria, Germany, the Coronavirus antibody screening in children from Bavaria study network (CoKiBa), recruited healthy children into a cross-sectional study from two sources: an ongoing prevention program for 1-14 years, and referrals of 1-17 years consulting a pediatrician for possible infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We determined sNfL levels by single molecule array immunoassay and SARS-CoV-2 antibody status by two independent quantitative methods.
Results: Of the 2652 included children, 148 (5.6%) were SARS-CoV-2 antibody positive with asymptomatic to moderate COVID-19 infection. Neurological symptoms-headache, dizziness, muscle aches, or loss of smell and taste-were present in 47/148 cases (31.8%). Mean sNfL levels were 5.5 pg/ml (SD 2.9) in the total cohort, 5.1 (SD 2.1) pg/ml in the children with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and 5.5 (SD 3.0) pg/ml in those without. Multivariate regression analysis revealed age-but neither antibody status, antibody levels, nor clinical severity-as an independent predictor of sNfL. Follow-up of children with pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (n = 14) showed no association with sNfL.
Conclusions: In this population study, children with asymptomatic to moderate COVID-19 showed no neurochemical evidence of neuronal damage.

Keywords: Brain; COVID-19; Children; Neurofilament; Neurology.