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- Morenas-Rodriguez, E., et al.
(author)
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Soluble TREM2 in CSF and its association with other biomarkers and cognition in autosomal-dominant Alzheimer acute accent s disease: a longitudinal observational study
- 2022
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In: LANCET NEUROLOGY. - 1474-4422. ; 21:4, s. 329-341
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Therapeutic modulation of TREM2-dependent microglial function might provide an additional strategy to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Although studies in animal models suggest that TREM2 is protective against Alzheimer's pathology, its effect on tau pathology and its potential beneficial role in people with Alzheimer's disease is still unclear. Our aim was to study associations between the dynamics of soluble TREM2, as a biomarker of TREM2 signalling, and amyloid beta (A beta) deposition, tau-related pathology, neuroimaging markers, and cognitive decline, during the progression of autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease. Methods We did a longitudinal analysis of data from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) observational study, which includes families with a history of autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease. Participants aged over 18 years who were enrolled in DIAN between Jan 1, 2009, and July 31, 2019, were categorised as either carriers of pathogenic variants in PSEN1 , PSEN2 , and APP genes (n=155) or non-carriers (n=93). We measured amounts of cleaved soluble TREM2 using a novel immunoassay in CSF samples obtained every 2 years from participants who were asymptomatic (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR]=0) and annually for those who were symptomatic (CDR > 0). CSF concentrations of A beta 40, A beta 42, total tau (t-tau), and tau phosphorylated on threonine 181 (p-tau) were measured by validated immunoassays. Predefined neuroimaging measurements were total cortical uptake of Pittsburgh compound B PET (PiB-PET), cortical thickness in the precuneus ascertained by MRI, and hippocampal volume determined by MRI. Cognition was measured using a validated cognitive composite (including DIAN word list test, logical memory delayed recall, digit symbol coding test [total score], and minimental status examination). We based our statistical analysis on univariate and bivariate linear mixed effects models. Findings In carriers of pathogenic variants, a high amyloid burden at baseline, represented by low CSF A beta 42 (beta=-4.28 x 10(-2) [SE 0.013], p=0.0012), but not high cortical uptake in PiB-PET (beta=-5.51 x 10(-3) [0.011], p=0.63), was the only predictor of an augmented annual rate of subsequent increase in soluble TREM2. Augmented annual rates of increase in soluble TREM2 were associated with a diminished rate of decrease in amyloid deposition, as measured by A beta 42 in CSF (r=0.56 [0.22], p=0.011), in presymptomatic carriers of pathogenic variants, and with diminished annual rate of increase in PiB-PET (r=-0.67 [0.25], p=0.0060) in symptomatic carriers of pathogenic variants. Presymptomatic carriers of pathogenic variants with annual rates of increase in soluble TREM2 lower than the median showed a correlation between enhanced annual rates of increase in p-tau in CSF and augmented annual rates of increase in PiB-PET signal (r=0.45 [0.21], p=0.035), that was not observed in those with rates of increase in soluble TREM2 higher than the median. Furthermore, presymptomatic carriers of pathogenic variants with rates of increase in soluble TREM2 above or below the median had opposite associations between A beta 42 in CSF and PiB-PET uptake when assessed longitudinally. Augmented annual rates of increase in soluble TREM2 in presymptomatic carriers of pathogenic variants correlated with decreased cortical shrinkage in the precuneus (r=0.46 [0.22]), p=0.040) and diminished cognitive decline (r=0.67 [0.22], p=0.0020). Interpretation Our findings in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease position the TREM2 response within the amyloid cascade immediately after the first pathological changes in A beta aggregation and further support the role of TREM2 on A beta plaque deposition and compaction. Furthermore, these findings underpin a beneficial effect of TREM2 on A beta deposition, A beta-dependent tau pathology, cortical shrinkage, and cognitive decline. Soluble TREM2 could, therefore, be a key marker for clinical trial design and interpretation. Efforts to develop TREM2-boosting therapies are ongoing. Funding German Research Foundation, US National Institutes of Health.Copyright (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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- Rodriguez-Fernandez, B., et al.
(author)
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Genetically predicted telomere length and Alzheimer's disease endophenotypes: a Mendelian randomization study
- 2022
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In: Alzheimers Research & Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1758-9193. ; 14:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Telomere length (TL) is associated with biological aging, consequently influencing the risk of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). We aimed to evaluate the potential causal role of TL in AD endophenotypes (i.e., cognitive performance, N = 2233; brain age and AD-related signatures, N = 1134; and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (CSF) of AD and neurodegeneration, N = 304) through a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Our analysis was conducted in the context of the ALFA (ALzheimer and FAmilies) study, a population of cognitively healthy individuals at risk of AD. A total of 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with TL were used to determine the effect of TL on AD endophenotypes. Analyses were adjusted by age, sex, and years of education. Stratified analyses by APOE-epsilon 4 status and polygenic risk score of AD were conducted. MR analysis revealed significant associations between genetically predicted longer TL and lower levels of CSF A beta and higher levels of CSF NfL only in APOE-epsilon 4 non-carriers. Moreover, inheriting longer TL was associated with greater cortical thickness in age and AD-related brain signatures and lower levels of CSF p-tau among individuals at a high genetic predisposition to AD. Further observational analyses are warranted to better understand these associations.
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- Akinci, M., et al.
(author)
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Prepandemic Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers and Anxious-Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Confinement in Cognitively Unimpaired Adults
- 2022
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In: NEUROLOGY. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0028-3878 .- 1526-632X. ; 99:14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and Objectives Increased anxious-depressive symptomatology is observed in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer disease (AD), which may accelerate disease progression. We investigated whether beta-amyloid, cortical thickness in medial temporal lobe structures, neuroinflammation, and sociodemographic factors were associated with greater anxious-depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 confinement. Methods This retrospective observational study included cognitively unimpaired older adults from the Alzheimer's and Families cohort, the majority with a family history of sporadic AD. Participants performed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) during the COVID-19 confinement. A subset had available retrospective (on average: 2.4 years before) HADS assessment, amyloid [F-18] flutemetamol PET and structural MRI scans, and CSF markers of neuroinflammation (interleukin-6 [IL-6], triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, and glial fibrillary acidic protein levels). We performed multivariable linear regression models to investigate the associations of prepandemic AD-related biomarkers and sociodemographic factors with HADS scores during the confinement. We further performed an analysis of covariance to adjust by participants' prepandemic anxiety-depression levels. Finally, we explored the role of stress and lifestyle changes (sleep patterns, eating, drinking, smoking habits, and medication use) on the tested associations and performed sex-stratified analyses. Results We included 921 (254 with AD biomarkers) participants. beta-amyloid positivity (B = 3.73; 95% CI = 1.1 to 6.36; p = 0.006), caregiving (B = 1.37; 95% CI 0.24-2.5; p = 0.018), sex (women: B = 1.95; 95% CI 1.1-2.79; p < 0.001), younger age (B = -0.12; 95% CI -0.18 to -0.052; p < 0.001), and lower education (B = -0.16; 95% CI -0.28 to -0.042; p = 0.008) were associated with greater anxious-depressive symptoms during the confinement. Considering prepandemic anxiety-depression levels, we further observed an association between lower levels of CSF IL-6 (B = -5.11; 95% CI -10.1 to -0.13; p = 0.044) and greater HADS scores. The results were independent of stress-related variables and lifestyle changes. Stratified analysis revealed that the associations were mainly driven by women. Discussion Our results link AD-related pathophysiology and neuroinflammation with greater anxious-depressive symptomatology during the COVID-19-related confinement, notably in women. AD pathophysiology may increase neuropsychiatric symptomatology in response to stressors. This association may imply a worse clinical prognosis in people at risk for AD after the pandemic and thus deserves to be considered by clinicians.
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- Cacciaglia, R., et al.
(author)
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Age, sex and APOE-epsilon 4 modify the balance between soluble and fibrillar beta-amyloid in non-demented individuals: topographical patterns across two independent cohorts
- 2022
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In: Molecular Psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1359-4184 .- 1476-5578. ; 27, s. 2010-2018
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amyloid (A beta) pathology is the earliest detectable pathophysiological event along the Alzheimer's continuum, which can be measured both in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and by Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Yet, these biomarkers identify two distinct A beta pools, reflecting the clearance of soluble A beta as opposed to the presence of A beta fibrils in the brain. An open question is whether risk factors known to increase Alzheimer's' disease (AD) prevalence may promote an imbalance between soluble and deposited A beta. Unveiling such interactions shall aid our understanding of the biological pathways underlying A beta deposition and foster the design of effective prevention strategies. We assessed the impact of three major AD risk factors, such as age, APOE-epsilon 4 and female sex, on the association between CSF and PET A beta, in two independent samples of non-demented individuals (ALFA: n = 320, ADNI: n = 682). We tested our hypotheses both in candidate regions of interest and in the whole brain using voxel-wise non-parametric permutations. All of the assessed risk factors induced a higher A beta deposition for any given level of CSF A beta 42/40, although in distinct cerebral topologies. While age and sex mapped onto neocortical areas, the effect of APOE-epsilon 4 was prominent in the medial temporal lobe, which represents a target of early tau deposition. Further, we found that the effects of age and APOE-epsilon 4 was stronger in women than in men. Our data indicate that specific AD risk factors affect the spatial patterns of cerebral A beta aggregation, with APOE-epsilon 4 possibly facilitating a co-localization between A beta and tau along the disease continuum.
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- Cacciaglia, R, et al.
(author)
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Age, sex and APOE-ε4 modify the balance between soluble and fibrillar β-amyloid in non-demented individuals: topographical patterns across two independent cohorts
- 2022
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In: Molecular psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-5578 .- 1359-4184. ; 27:4, s. 2010-2018
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amyloid (Aβ) pathology is the earliest detectable pathophysiological event along the Alzheimer’s continuum, which can be measured both in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and by Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Yet, these biomarkers identify two distinct Aβ pools, reflecting the clearance of soluble Aβ as opposed to the presence of Aβ fibrils in the brain. An open question is whether risk factors known to increase Alzheimer’s’ disease (AD) prevalence may promote an imbalance between soluble and deposited Aβ. Unveiling such interactions shall aid our understanding of the biological pathways underlying Aβ deposition and foster the design of effective prevention strategies. We assessed the impact of three major AD risk factors, such as age, APOE-ε4 and female sex, on the association between CSF and PET Aβ, in two independent samples of non-demented individuals (ALFA: n = 320, ADNI: n = 682). We tested our hypotheses both in candidate regions of interest and in the whole brain using voxel-wise non-parametric permutations. All of the assessed risk factors induced a higher Aβ deposition for any given level of CSF Aβ42/40, although in distinct cerebral topologies. While age and sex mapped onto neocortical areas, the effect of APOE-ε4 was prominent in the medial temporal lobe, which represents a target of early tau deposition. Further, we found that the effects of age and APOE-ε4 was stronger in women than in men. Our data indicate that specific AD risk factors affect the spatial patterns of cerebral Aβ aggregation, with APOE-ε4 possibly facilitating a co-localization between Aβ and tau along the disease continuum.
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- Cacciaglia, R., et al.
(author)
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Genotypic effects of APOE-epsilon 4 on resting-state connectivity in cognitively intact individuals support functional brain compensation
- 2022
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In: Cerebral Cortex. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1047-3211 .- 1460-2199. ; 33:6, s. 2748-60
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The investigation of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in asymptomatic individuals at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) enables discovering the earliest brain alterations in preclinical stages of the disease. The APOE-epsilon 4 variant is the major genetic risk factor for AD, and previous studies have reported rsFC abnormalities in carriers of the epsilon 4 allele. Yet, no study has assessed APOE-epsilon 4 gene-dose effects on rsFC measures, and only a few studies included measures of cognitive performance to aid a clinical interpretation. We assessed the impact of APOE-epsilon 4 on rsFC in a sample of 429 cognitively unimpaired individuals hosting a high number of epsilon 4 homozygotes (n = 58), which enabled testing different models of genetic penetrance. We used independent component analysis and found a reduced rsFC as a function of the APOE-epsilon 4 allelic load in the temporal default-mode and the medial temporal networks, while recessive effects were found in the extrastriate and limbic networks. Some of these results were replicated in a subsample with negative amyloid markers. Interaction with cognitive data suggests that such a network reorganization may support cognitive performance in the epsilon 4-homozygotes. Our data indicate that APOE-epsilon 4 shapes the functional architecture of the resting brain and favor the idea of a network-based functional compensation.
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- Delaby, Constance, et al.
(author)
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Clinical reporting following the quantification of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease: An international overview.
- 2022
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In: Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. - : Wiley. - 1552-5279. ; 18:10, s. 1868-1879
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The current practice of quantifying cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers as an aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) varies from center to center. For a same biochemical profile, interpretation and reporting of results may differ, which can lead to misunderstandings and raises questions about the commutability of tests.We obtained a description of (pre-)analytical protocols and sample reports from 40 centers worldwide. A consensus approach allowed us to propose harmonized comments corresponding to the different CSF biomarker profiles observed in patients.The (pre-)analytical procedures were similar between centers. There was considerable heterogeneity in cutoff definitions and report comments. We therefore identified and selected by consensus the most accurate and informative comments regarding the interpretation of CSF biomarkers in the context of AD diagnosis.This is the first time that harmonized reports are proposed across worldwide specialized laboratories involved in the biochemical diagnosis of AD.
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- Mila-Aloma, M., et al.
(author)
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Plasma p-tau231 and p-tau217 as state markers of amyloid-beta pathology in preclinical Alzheimer's disease
- 2022
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In: Nature Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1078-8956 .- 1546-170X. ; 28, s. 1797-1801
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A comprehensive comparison of Alzheimer's disease blood biomarkers in cognitively unimpaired individuals reveals that plasma p-tau231 and p-tau217 capture very early A beta changes, showing promise as markers to enrich a preclinical population for Alzheimer's disease clinical trials Blood biomarkers indicating elevated amyloid-beta (A beta) pathology in preclinical Alzheimer's disease are needed to facilitate the initial screening process of participants in disease-modifying trials. Previous biofluid data suggest that phosphorylated tau231 (p-tau231) could indicate incipient A beta pathology, but a comprehensive comparison with other putative blood biomarkers is lacking. In the ALFA+ cohort, all tested plasma biomarkers (p-tau181, p-tau217, p-tau231, GFAP, NfL and A beta 42/40) were significantly changed in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. However, plasma p-tau231 reached abnormal levels with the lowest A beta burden. Plasma p-tau231 and p-tau217 had the strongest association with A beta positron emission tomography (PET) retention in early accumulating regions and associated with longitudinal increases in A beta PET uptake in individuals without overt A beta pathology at baseline. In summary, plasma p-tau231 and p-tau217 better capture the earliest cerebral A beta changes, before overt A beta plaque pathology is present, and are promising blood biomarkers to enrich a preclinical population for Alzheimer's disease clinical trials.
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- Salvado, G., et al.
(author)
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Brain alterations in the early Alzheimer's continuum with amyloid-beta, tau, glial and neurodegeneration CSF markers
- 2022
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In: Brain Communications. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2632-1297. ; 4:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Higher grey matter volumes/cortical thickness and fluorodeoxyglucose uptake have been consistently found in cognitively unimpaired individuals with abnormal Alzheimer's disease biomarkers compared with those with normal biomarkers. It has been hypothesized that such transient increases may be associated with neuroinflammatory mechanisms triggered in response to early Alzheimer's pathology. Here, we evaluated, in the earliest stages of the Alzheimer's continuum, associations between grey matter volume and fluorodeoxyglucose uptake with CSF biomarkers of several pathophysiological mechanisms known to be altered in preclinical Alzheimer's disease stages. We included 319 cognitively unimpaired participants from the ALFA+ cohort with available structural MRI, fluorodeoxyglucose PET and CSF biomarkers of amyloid-beta and tau pathology (phosphorylated tau and total tau), synaptic dysfunction (neurogranin), neuronal and axonal injury (neurofilament light), glial activation (soluble triggering receptor on myeloid cells 2, YKL40, GFAP, interleukin-6 and S100b) and alpha-synuclein using the Roche NeuroToolKit. We first used the amyloid-beta/tau framework to investigate differences in the neuroimaging biomarkers between preclinical Alzheimer's disease stages. Then, we looked for associations between the neuroimaging markers and all the CSF markers. Given the non-negative nature of the concentrations of CSF biomarkers and their high collinearity, we clustered them using non-negative matrix factorization approach (components) and sought associations with the imaging markers. By groups, higher grey matter volumes were found in the amyloid-beta-positive tau-negative participants with respect to the reference amyloid-beta-negative tau-negative group. Both amyloid-beta and tau-positive participants showed higher fluorodeoxyglucose uptake than tau-negative individuals. Using the obtained components, we observed that tau pathology accompanied by YKL-40 (astrocytic marker) was associated with higher grey matter volumes and fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in extensive brain areas. Higher grey matter volumes in key Alzheimer-related regions were also found in association with two other components characterized by a higher expression of amyloid-beta in combination with different glial markers: one with higher GFAP and S100b levels (astrocytic markers) and the other one with interleukin-6 (pro-inflammatory). Notably, these components' expression had different behaviours across amyloid-beta/tau stages. Taken together, our results show that CSF amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau, in combination with different aspects of glial response, have distinctive associations with higher grey matter volumes and increased glucose metabolism in key Alzheimer-related regions. These mechanisms combine to produce transient higher grey matter volumes and fluorodeoxyglucose uptake at the earliest stages of the Alzheimer's continuum, which may revert later on the course of the disease when neurodegeneration drives structural and metabolic cerebral changes. Salvado et al. show that amyloid-beta and tau pathologies, in combination with different aspects of glial response, have distinctive associations with brain's structure and function in key Alzheimer-related regions. These mechanisms combine to produce transient higher grey matter volumes and glucose metabolism at the earliest stages of the Alzheimer's continuum.
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