In Silico Analysis Highlights Potential Predictive Indicators Associated with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex inflammatory disease affecting the central nervous system. Most commonly, it begins with recurrent symptoms followed by partial or complete recovery, known as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Over time, many RRMS patients progress to secondary progressive MS (SPMS), marked by gradual symptom deterioration. The factors triggering this transition remain unknown, lacking predictive biomarkers. This study aims to identify blood biomarkers specific to SPMS. We analyzed six datasets of SPMS and RRMS patients' blood and brain tissues, and compared the differential expressed genes (DEGs) obtained to highlight DEGs reflecting alterations occurring in both brain and blood tissues and the potential biological processes involved. We observed a total of 38 DEGs up-regulated in both blood and brain tissues, and their interaction network was evaluated through network analysis. Among the aforementioned DEGs, 21 may be directly involved with SPMS transition. Further, we highlighted three biological processes, including the calcineurin-NFAT pathway, related to this transition. The investigated DEGs may serve as a promising means to monitor the transition from RRMS to SPMS, which is still elusive. Given that they can also be sourced from blood samples, this approach could offer a relatively rapid and convenient method for monitoring MS and facilitating expedited assessments.