BACE1 and Other Alzheimer's-Related Biomarkers in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma Distinguish Alzheimer's Disease Patients from Cognitively-Impaired Neurosyphilis Patients.

Publisher: IOS Press Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 9814863 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1875-8908 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13872877 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Alzheimers Dis Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Amsterdam ; Washington : IOS Press, c1998-

Alzheimer Disease/*diagnosis ; Alzheimer Disease/*metabolism ; Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/*metabolism ; Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases/*metabolism ; Cognitive Dysfunction/*diagnosis ; Cognitive Dysfunction/*metabolism ; Neurosyphilis/*diagnosis ; Neurosyphilis/*metabolism; Adult ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease/psychology ; Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/blood ; Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/cerebrospinal fluid ; Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases/blood ; Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases/cerebrospinal fluid ; Biomarkers/blood ; Biomarkers/cerebrospinal fluid ; Cognitive Dysfunction/psychology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurosyphilis/psychology ; Treponema pallidum/isolation & purification

Background: Patients with spirochetal infection, which causes neurosyphilis (NS) and at a later stage general paresis of the insane (GPI), present with brain pathology features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relationships among these illnesses regarding biomarker levels are still unclear.
Objective: To explore biomarker levels in NS and GPI compared with those in AD and the relationship between biomarker levels and cognitive function in NS and GPI.
Methods: Levels of neurogranin (NGRN) and β-amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE1) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/plasma, together with amyloid-β 1-40 (Aβ40), Aβ42, and total tau in the CSF of 23 AD patients, 55 GPI patients, and 13 NS patients were measured. Patients were classified into none-to-mild, moderate, and severe stages of cognitive impairment.
Results: Levels of CSF NGRN, BACE1, and tau as well as plasma BACE1 levels were significantly different among groups. In the none-to-mild stage, plasma BACE1 levels correlated with the protein levels in CSF and were significantly increased in AD patients versus GPI patients. The CSF tau levels in AD patients were significantly increased versus GPI patients in the moderate and severe stages. Pooling data from GPI and NS patients, both CSF tau and plasma NGRN levels correlated with cognitive scale scores.
Conclusion: GPI and NS patients might have different biomarker level patterns compared to AD patients. While plasma BACE1 could be a promising early biomarker for distinguishing AD from GPI, CSF tau and plasma NGRN levels might be valuable in indications of cognitive function in pooled NS populations.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; BACE1; general paresis of insane; neurogranin; neurosyphilis

0 (Biomarkers)
EC 3.4.- (Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases)
EC 3.4.23.- (Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases)
EC 3.4.23.46 (BACE1 protein, human)

Date Created: 20200818 Date Completed: 20210908 Latest Revision: 20210908

20240829

10.3233/JAD-200362

32804135