Performance of Fully-Automated High-Throughput Plasma Biomarker Assays for Alzheimer's Disease in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Subjects

J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2024;11(4):1073-1078. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2024.58.

Abstract

Introduction: Novel plasma biomarkers are promising for identifying Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological processes in vivo, but most currently employed assays have limitations precluding widespread use.

Methods: CSF and plasma samples were collected from seventy amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) subjects, stratified as A+ and A-. CSF Aβ40, Aβ42, p-tau181 and t-tau and plasma Aβ40, Aβ42 and p-tau181 quantification were conducted using the Lumipulse G assays (Fujirebio), to evaluate the diagnostic performance of plasma biomarkers and assess their associations with CSF biomarkers.

Results: All plasma biomarkers except Aβ40 showed a very good accuracy in distinguishing A+ aMCI from A- aMCI, Aβ42/p-tau181 ratio being the most accurate (AUC 0.895, sensitivity 95.1%, specificity 82.8%). Plasma biomarkers levels were significantly associated with CSF biomarkers concentration.

Discussion: High-throughput and fully-automated plasma assays could be helpful in discriminating with high accuracy between aMCI in the AD continuum and aMCI unlikely due to AD in clinical settings.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease (AD); amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI); blood-based biomarkers; fully-automated assays; plasma biomarkers.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease* / blood
  • Alzheimer Disease* / diagnosis
  • Amnesia / blood
  • Amnesia / diagnosis
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides* / blood
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides* / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Biomarkers* / blood
  • Cognitive Dysfunction* / blood
  • Cognitive Dysfunction* / diagnosis
  • Female
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Peptide Fragments / blood
  • Peptide Fragments / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • tau Proteins* / blood
  • tau Proteins* / cerebrospinal fluid

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • tau Proteins
  • Peptide Fragments