Journal Article

DZNE-2026-00979

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Chitinases in Tear Fluid of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Wenz, L. ; Scholl, L.-S. ; Reinhardt, N. ; Heynitz, R. v. ; Gmeiner, V. ; Rau, P. ; Müller, P. J. ; Wolff, A. W.Extern* ; Feneberg, E. ; Demleitner, A. F. ; Lingor, P. (Last author)DZNE*

2026
Wiley-Blackwell Oxford [u.a.]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1111/ene.70757

Abstract: Chitinases, including chitotriosidase (CHIT1) and chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), are markers of neuroinflammation, a key process in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Tear fluid (TF) can be collected non-invasively and may represent a promising alternative to CSF or blood to study chitinases.TF was collected from 50 ALS patients and 50 control subjects using Schirmer strips. CHIT1 and CHI3L1 levels in TF, serum, and CSF were quantified using ELISA. Serum NfL was measured using SIMOA. The frequency of a 24 bp-duplication polymorphism in the CHIT1 gene influencing CHIT1 expression was assessed by PCR.No group differences in the distribution of the CHIT1 polymorphism were detected. Carriers of the polymorphism in both ALS and controls showed lower CHIT1 levels in serum and TF. CHI3L1 levels in TF were higher in ALS patients compared to controls (p = 0.007), consistent with changes in CSF but not serum. In ALS, males showed higher TF CHIT1 values compared to females (p = 0.009). Combining TF chitinase values with serum NfL values improved discrimination between ALS and controls.Chitinases are detectable in TF, and CHI3L1 levels recapitulate changes observed in CSF, highlighting its potential for non-invasive longitudinal assessment. Furthermore, chitinase values in TF, together with serum NfL, may act complementarily by capturing distinct aspects of the disease, neuroinflammation and axonal damage. These results suggest TF chitinases and serum NfL could complementarily contribute to the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease, and call for further evaluation of TF as a biomarker source in ALS.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: genetics (MeSH) ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: metabolism (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; Hexosaminidases: genetics (MeSH) ; Hexosaminidases: metabolism (MeSH) ; Tears: enzymology (MeSH) ; Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1: metabolism (MeSH) ; Middle Aged (MeSH) ; Chitinases: metabolism (MeSH) ; Chitinases: genetics (MeSH) ; Aged (MeSH) ; Biomarkers: metabolism (MeSH) ; Biomarkers: blood (MeSH) ; Adult (MeSH) ; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ; biomarker ; chitinase ; neuroinflammation ; tear fluid ; Hexosaminidases ; chitotriosidase ; Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 ; Chitinases ; CHI3L1 protein, human ; Biomarkers

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Clinical Research (Munich) (Clinical Research (Munich))

Research Program(s):

1. 353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353) (POF4-353)

Appears in the scientific report 2026

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