Cited by 456Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsCerebrospinal fluid and hydrocephalus

CSF A β 42/A β 40 and A β 42/A β 38 ratios: better diagnostic markers of Alzheimer disease

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Janelidze, Shorena, Zetterberg, Henrik, Mattsson, Niklas, Palmqvist, Sebastian, Vanderstichele, Hugo, Lindberg, Olof, van Westen, Danielle, Stomrud, Erik +4 more·2016·Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology

Abstract

Objective: The diagnostic accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) must be improved before widespread clinical use. This study aimed to determine whether CSF A β 42/A β 40 and A β 42/A β 38 ratios are better diagnostic biomarkers of AD during both predementia and dementia stages in comparison to CSF A β 42 alone. Methods: The study comprised three different cohorts (n = 1182) in whom CSF levels of A β 42, A β 40, and A β 38 were assessed. CSF A β s were quantified using three different immunoassays (Euroimmun, Meso Scale Discovery, Quanterix). As reference standard, we used either amyloid (18 F‐flutemetamol) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging (n = 215) or clinical diagnosis (n = 967) of well‐characterized patients. Results: When using three different immunoassays in cases with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment, the CSF A β 42/A β 40 and A β 42/A β 38 ratios were significantly better predictors of abnormal amyloid PET than CSF A β 42. Lower A β 42, A β 42/A β 40, and A β 42/A β 38 ratios, but not A β 40 and A β 38, correlated with smaller hippocampal volumes measured by magnetic resonance imaging. However, lower A β 38, A β 40, and A β 42, but not the ratios, correlated with non‐AD‐specific subcortical changes, that is, larger lateral ventricles and white matter lesions. Further, the A β 42/A β 40 and A β 42/A β 38 ratios showed increased accuracy compared to A β 42 when distinguishing AD from dementia with Lewy bodies or Parkinson's disease dementia and subcortical vascular dementia, where all A β s (including A β 42) were decreased. Interpretation: The CSF A β 42/A β 40 and A β 42/A β 38 ratios are significantly better than CSF A β 42 to detect brain amyloid deposition in prodromal AD and to differentiate AD dementia from non‐AD dementias. The ratios reflect AD‐type pathology better, whereas decline in CSF A β 42 is also associated with non‐AD subcortical pathologies. These findings strongly suggest that the ratios rather than CSF A β 42 should be used in the clinical work‐up of AD.

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Authors
Janelidze, S., Zetterberg, H., Mattsson, N., Palmqvist, S., Vanderstichele, H., Lindberg, O., van Westen, D., Stomrud, E., Minthon, L., Blennow, K., the Swedish BioFINDER study group, & Hansson, O.
Affiliations
  • Lund University (SE)
  • National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (GB)
  • ADx NeuroSciences (BE)
  • Department of Clinical Sciences Diagnostic Radiology Lund University Lund Sweden
  • University of Gothenburg (SE)
Corresponding author
  • Janelidze, Shorena
  • Hansson, Oskar
Venue
Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-01
Volume
3
Issue
3
Pages
154-165
ISSN
2328-9503 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2207877462
Cited by
456
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 51 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 63 · 2019: 51 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 9
FWCI
38.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Chalmers Publication Library (Chalmers University of Technology) (acceptedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • European Research Council
  • Vetenskapsrådet
  • Crafoordska Stiftelsen
  • Hjärnfonden
  • Torsten Söderbergs Stiftelse
  • Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Cerebrospinal fluid and hydrocephalus
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, amyloid-beta 42, Aβ40, Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, prodromal Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive decline, amyloid PET, differential diagnosis of dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease dementia, subcortical vascular dementia, hippocampal volume, white matter lesions, lateral ventricle, immunoassay comparison, diagnostic accuracy

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