Lipids and lipid-reactive antibodies as biomarkers for multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that targets the central nervous system (CNS). MS initially follows a relapsing–remitting course (RRMS) in which acute attacks are followed by a complete recovery. Eventually, 65% of the RRMS patients go on to develop secondary progressive MS (SPMS), characterized by the progressive and irreversible accumulation of neurological disability. It has been proposed that the transition from RRMS to SPMS results from changes in the nature of the inflammatory response and the progressive accumulation of neurodegeneration. To date, however, there is no reliable method to monitor the activity of the different immune and neurodegenerative processes that contribute to MS pathology. Thus, there is a need for biomarkers useful for the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of MS patients. In this review, we discuss the potential use of lipids and the immune response against them as biomarkers of inflammation and neurodegeneration for MS.