Dataset Information

Cerebrospinal fluid ratios with Aβ42 predict preclinical brain β-amyloid accumulation.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Biomarkers are urgently needed for the critical yet understudied preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods

CSF collection, [C-11]PiB amyloid imaging, and MRI were acquired in n=104 cognitively healthy adults enriched with risk for sporadic AD. Image-derived cerebral β-amyloid (Aβ) burden, measured concurrently and longitudinally, was regressed on CSF measures of Aβ, neural injury, and inflammation, as well as ratios with Aβ₄₂. Linear mixed effects regression was used to model the effect of the CSF measures that predicted longitudinal brain amyloid accumulation on longitudinal cognitive decline, measured by memory test scores.

Results

At baseline, Aβ₄₂/Aβ₄₀ and all CSF ratios to Aβ₄₂ were associated with PiB binding in AD-vulnerable regions. Longitudinally, Aβ₄₂/Aβ₄₀ and ratios of total tau, phosphorylated-tau, neurofilament light protein, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 to Aβ₄₂ were associated with increased β-amyloid deposition over two years, predominantly in lateral parietal and temporal cortex. However, these CSF ratios were not significantly associated with cognitive decline, and the effect seems to be largely driven by Aβ₄₂ in the denominator.

Discussion

These results corroborate previous findings that t-tau/Aβ₄₂ and p-tau/Aβ₄₂ are the strongest candidate biomarkers during the preclinical timeframe. They support a framework in which neural injury and amyloid deposition are likely occurring simultaneously. It may be that neurodegenerative processes influence progressive amyloid accumulation, even in the preclinical time frame. CSF biomarkers for non-specific axonal injury and inflammation may provide more information at more advanced stages of the preclinical time course.

SUBMITTER: Racine AM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4778249 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Cerebral accumulation of amyloid-? is thought to be the starting mechanism in Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid-? can be detected by analysis of cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-?42 or amyloid positron emission tomography, but it is unknown if any of the methods can identify an abnormal amyloid accumulation prior to the other. Our aim was to determine whether cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-?42 change before amyloid PET during preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease. We included 437 non-demented subjects from the prospective, longitudinal Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study. All underwent (18)F-florbetapir positron emission tomography and cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-?42 analysis at baseline and at least one additional positron emission tomography after a mean follow-up of 2.1 years (range 1.1-4.4 years). Group classifications were based on normal and abnormal cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography results at baseline. We found that cases with isolated abnormal cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-? and normal positron emission tomography at baseline accumulated amyloid with a mean rate of 1.2%/year, which was similar to the rate in cases with both abnormal cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography (1.2%/year, P = 0.86). The mean accumulation rate of those with isolated abnormal cerebrospinal fluid was more than three times that of those with both normal cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography (0.35%/year, P = 0.018). The group differences were similar when analysing yearly change in standardized uptake value ratio of florbetapir instead of percentage change. Those with both abnormal cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography deteriorated more in memory and hippocampal volume compared with the other groups (P < 0.001), indicating that they were closer to Alzheimer's disease dementia. The results were replicated after adjustments of different factors and when using different cut-offs for amyloid-? abnormality including a positron emission tomography classification based on the florbetapir uptake in regions where the initial amyloid-? accumulation occurs in Alzheimer's disease. This is the first study to show that individuals who have abnormal cerebrospinal amyloid-?42 but normal amyloid-? positron emission tomography have an increased cortical amyloid-? accumulation rate similar to those with both abnormal cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography and higher rate than subjects where both modalities are normal. The results indicate that cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-?42 becomes abnormal in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease, before amyloid positron emission tomography and before neurodegeneration starts.