The value of routine blood work-up in clinical stratification and prognosis of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background There is an unmet need in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to provide specific biomarkers for the disease. Due to their easy availability, we aimed to investigate whether routine blood parameters provide useful clues for phenotypic classification and disease prognosis. Methods We analyzed a large inpatient cohort of 836 ALS patients who underwent deep phenotyping with evaluation of the clinical and neurophysiological burden of upper (UMN) and lower (LMN) motor neuron signs. Disability and progression rate were measured through the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) and its changes during time. Cox regression analysis was performed to assess survival associations. Results Creatinine significantly correlated with LMN damage ( r = 0.38), active ( r = 0.18) and chronic ( r = 0.24) denervation and baseline ALSFRS-R ( r = 0.33). Creatine kinase (CK), alanine (ALT) and aspartate (AST) transaminases correlated with active ( r = 0.35, r = 0.27, r = 0.24) and chronic ( r = 0.37, r = 0.20, r = 0.19) denervation, while albumin and C-reactive protein significantly correlated with LMN score ( r = 0.20 and r = 0.17). Disease progression rate showed correlations with chloride ( r = −0.19) and potassium levels ( r = −0.16). After adjustment for known prognostic factors, total protein [HR 0.70 (95% CI 0.57–0.86)], creatinine [HR 0.86 (95% CI 0.81–0.92)], chloride [HR 0.95 (95% CI 0.92–0.99)], lactate dehydrogenase [HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.99–0.99)], and AST [HR 1.02 (95% CI 1.01–1.02)] were independently associated with survival. Conclusions Creatinine is a reliable biomarker for ALS, associated with clinical features, disability and survival. Markers of nutrition/inflammation may offer additional prognostic information and partially correlate with clinical features. AST and chloride could further assist in predicting progression rate and survival.