Relation between Alpha-Synuclein and Core CSF Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Lithuania), 2021-09, Vol.57 (9), p.954
• Main Authors: Monge-García, Victoria, García-Ayllón, María-Salud, Sáez-Valero, Javier, Sánchez-Payá, José, Navarrete-Rueda, Francisco, Manzanares-Robles, Jorge, Gasparini-Berenguer, Ruth, Romero-Lorenzo, Raquel, Cortés-Gómez, María Angeles, Monge-Argilés, José-Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alpha-Synuclein; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer's disease; Alzheimer’s; biomarker; Biomarkers; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; Humans; Lewy body disease; Lewy Body Disease - diagnosis; mild cognitive impairment; Neurodegeneration; Neuropsychology; Proteins; Variables; α-synuclein
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina57090954

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, while Lewy body dementia (LBD) is characterized by α-synuclein (α-syn) inclusions. Some authors examine α-syn protein in the neurodegeneration process of AD and propose to consider cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) α-syn as a possible additional biomarker to the so-called "core" of AD. To determine whether there is a correlation between α-syn levels and "core" AD biomarkers in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In total, 81 patients in the early stages of MCI were selected from the outpatient dementia consultation in Alicante General Hospital. Using a cross-sectional case-control design, patients were analyzed in four groups: stable MCI (MCIs; = 25), MCI due to AD (MCI-AD; = 32), MCI due to LBD (MCI-LBD; = 24) and a control group of patients with acute or chronic headache (Ctrl; = 18). Correlation between CSF protein levels in the different groups was assessed by the Rho Spearman test. We found positive correlations between T-tau protein and α-syn ( = 0.418; value < 0.05) and p-tau and α-syn ( = 0.571; value < 0.05) exclusively in the MCI-AD group. The correlation found between α-syn and tau proteins in the first stages of AD support the involvement of α-syn in the pathogenesis of AD. This result may have clinical and diagnostic implications, as well as help to apply the new concept of "precision medicine" in patients with MCI.