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The following is a summary of “Plasma concentrations of neurofilament light, p-Tau231 and glial fibrillary acidic protein are elevated in patients with chronic kidney disease and correlate with measured glomerular filtration rate,” published in the May 2025 issue of BMC Nephrology by Axelsson et al. 

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were found to have a high prevalence of cerebrovascular disease and cognitive impairment.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate whether plasma concentrations of neurofilament light chain (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and phosphorylated Tau231 (p-Tau231) were elevated in patients with CKD and to identify independent predictors of these biomarkers, focusing on estimated glomerular filtration rate (mGFR).  

They assessed 110 patients with CKD stages 3 and 4 (estimated Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 15–59 ml/min/1.73 m²) and 55 healthy controls in this cross-sectional cohort study. Participants with manifest cerebrovascular disease or dementia were excluded. Biomarkers for neurological disorders were estimated by ultrasensitive single-molecule array methods.  

The results showed that plasma concentrations of NfL (37.5 [22.1–47.5] vs.= 13.4 [10.5–16.7] ng/L, P< 0.001), p-Tau231 (25.7 [19.1–38.7] vs 13.9 [10.5–16.3] ng/L, P< 0.001), and GFAP (190 [140–281] vs 153 [116–211] ng/L, P< 0.001) were more elevated in patients with CKD compared to controls. Measured GFR negatively correlated with NfL (r = −0.706, P< 0.001), p-Tau231 (r = −0.561, P< 0.001), and GFAP (r = −0.385, P< 0.001). Multivariable regression models demonstrated mGFR as an independent predictor of log-transformed NfL (β = −0.439, P< 0.001) and GFAP (β = −0.321, P< 0.001).  

Investigators concluded that high plasma concentrations of NfL and GFAP in patients with CKD, inversely correlated with mGFR. 

Source: bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-025-04130-2