Alzheimer’s Disease Plasma Biomarkers Distinguish Clinical Diagnostic Groups in Memory Clinic Patients

Introduction: Several recent research studies show high performance of blood biomarkers to identify Alzheimer’s disease also in the pre-dementia mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage, but data from the routine clinical care memory clinic setting are needed. Methods: We examined plasma samples of 144 memory clinic patients, including dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT, n = 54), MCI (n = 57), and subjective cognitive decline (SCD, n = 33), who either presented as self-referrals or were referred by general practitioners or neurologists or psychiatrists. The plasma biomarkers, amyloid-beta42 (Aß42), amyloid-beta40 (Aß40), phospho-Tau181 (pTau181), total-tau (tTau), and neurofilament light (NFL), as well as different ratios, were measured using the ultrasensitive single molecule array (Simoa) immunoassay technology. Statistical analysis including Kruskal-Wallis test, linear regression, and receiver operating characteristics analyses was performed. Results: Of the single markers, we observed statistically significant group effects of pTau181 (H (2) = 34.43, p < 0.001) and NFL (H (2) = 27.66, p < 0.001). All individual group comparisons of pTau181 were significant, while the contrast of SCD versus MCI for NFL was not significant. In addition, the ratios of Aß42/Aß40 (H (2) = 7.50, p = 0.02) and pTau181/Aß42 (H (2) = 25.26, p < 0.001) showed significant group effects with significant difference between all groups for pTau181/Aß42 and an SCD versus MCI difference for Aß42/Aß40. PTau181 showed the highest area under the curve of 0.85 for the discrimination of SCD and DAT with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 79% at a cut-off of 12.2 pg/mL. Age influenced Aß42, Aß40, and NFL concentrations. Conclusion: Plasma pTau181 and NFL, as well as the ratios Aß42/Aß40 and pTau181/Aß42, are biomarkers, which can differentiate diagnostic groups in a memory clinic setting outside of research studies.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Alzheimer’s Disease Plasma Biomarkers Distinguish Clinical Diagnostic Groups in Memory Clinic Patients ; volume:51 ; number:2 ; year:2022 ; pages:182-192 ; extent:11 ; Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders ; 51, Heft 2 (2022), 182-192 (gesamt 11)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Gerards, Michelle ; Schild, Ann-Katrin ; Meiberth, Dix ; Rostamzadeh, Ayda ; Vehreschild, Jörg Janne ; Wingen-Heimann, Sebastian ; Johannis, Wibke ; Adami, Pamela V. Martino ; Onur, Oezguer A. ; Ramírez, Alfredo ; Karikari, Thomas K. ; Ashton, Nicholas J. ; Zetterberg, Henrik ; Blennow, Kaj ; Maier, Franziska ; Jessen, Frank

Further information

• DOI: 10.1159/000524390
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022060900553254908470
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:26 AM CEST