Levels of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 10 in CSF are not a valuable biomarker for multiple sclerosis

AIM: We aimed to characterize the role of mitochondrial 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 10 (17β-HSD10) overexpression in multiple sclerosis (MS) and to evaluate its use as a biomarker. Materials & methods: We estimated levels of 17β-HSD10, amyloid β 1-42, cyclophilin D, 17β-HSD10-cyclophilin D complexes or 17β-HSD10-parkin complexes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. RESULTS: The increase in 17β-HSD10 levels or in 17β-HSD10-parkin complexes and links to leukocytes were found only in relapsing-remitting MS. The sensitivity of the biomarker was 64%, the specificity equaled 60-63% compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Increased CSF levels of 17β-HSD10 in later stages of MS could be interpreted via its upregulation in demyelinated neuronal axons. CSF levels of 17β-HSD10 are not the valuable biomarker for the early diagnosis or for the progression of MS.