Brain tau deposition linked to systemic causes of death in normal elderly

• Published in: Neurobiology of aging 2017-02, Vol.50, p.163-166
• Main Authors: Josephs, Keith A., MD, MST, MSc, Tosakulwong, Nirubol, BS, Weigand, Stephen D., MS, Murray, Melissa E., PhD, Whitwell, Jennifer L., PhD, Parisi, Joseph E., MD, Dickson, Dennis W., MD, Petersen, Ronald C., MD, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Aging; alpha-Synuclein - metabolism; Amyloid beta-Peptides - metabolism; Brain - metabolism; Cancer; Cause of Death; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Gastrointestinal disease; Gastrointestinal Diseases - mortality; Humans; Internal Medicine; Lung Diseases - mortality; Mortality; Neoplasms - mortality; Neurology; Normal aging; Pulmonary disease; Tau; tau Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 0197-4580; 1558-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.11.011

Abstract The relationship between causes of death and four major neurodegenerative brain proteins (beta-amyloid, tau, alpha-synuclein, and the TAR DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43)) were assessed in 94 cognitively normal elderly participants that died without a neurodegenerative disease. There was an association between tau and causes of death (p=0.01). Tau in the brain was associated with a reduced likelihood of dying from systemic cancers (p=0.046), and with an increased likelihood of dying from pulmonary (p=0.03) and gastrointestinal (p=0.049) diseases. There were no associations between beta-amyloid, alpha-synuclein, or TDP-43 and causes of death. Tau deposition in the brain may have a relationship with systemic causes of death, including cancer, in the cognitively normal elderly.