CSF biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease: levels of beta-amyloid, tau, phosphorylated tau relate to clinical symptoms and survival

• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 21 patients with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) participating in a 5-year treatment study with the choline esterase inhibitor tacrin were retrospectively analyzed for the contents of beta-amyloid (Abeta42), total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated tau (P-tau). A significant positive correlation between the level of P-tau and the number of symptoms according to the DSM-IV criteria (p = 0.041) and the NINCDS-ADRDA (p = 0.029) was observed (i.e. higher levels were found in cases with more symptoms). A significant positive correlation between T-tau, P-tau and ADAS-cog score was identified (i.e. higher levels were found with more severe cognitive dysfunction). Patients who died during the 5-year follow-up had significantly lower levels of Abeta42 (p = 0.011) than those who were still alive. Patients who had died in a 6-year follow-up had significantly lower levels of Abeta42 (p = 0.034) and higher levels of T-tau (p = 0.041) than patients still alive. CONCLUSION: CSF biomarkers do aid the clinical diagnosis of AD. Increased levels of P-tau and T-tau are possible markers for severity and abundance of symptoms in AD. Low levels of Abeta42 may indicate a higher risk of early death in AD.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Aged

Aged

80 and over

Alzheimer Disease/cerebrospinal fluid/*diagnosis/drug therapy/mortality

Amyloid beta-Protein/*cerebrospinal fluid

Apolipoproteins E/genetics

Biological Markers/*cerebrospinal fluid

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Female

Genotype

Humans

Male

Mental Status Schedule

Middle Aged

Nerve Tissue Proteins/*cerebrospinal fluid

Neuropsychological Tests

Peptide Fragments/*cerebrospinal fluid

Phosphorylation

Prognosis

Reference Values

Retrospective Studies

Risk

Statistics

Survival Analysis

Tacrine/therapeutic use

tau Proteins

tau

phosphorylated tau

tacrine

survival

Apo E

beta-amyloid

Alzheimer's disease

cerebrospinal fluid

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)