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Aβ oligomers peak in early stages of Alzheimer's disease preceding tau pathology.

Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Authors: Lara Blömeke, Fabian Rehn, Victoria Kraemer-Schulien, Janine Kutzsche, Marlene Pils, Tuyen Bujnicki, Piotr Lewczuk, Johannes Kornhuber, Silka D Freiesleben, Luisa-Sophie Schneider, Lukas Preis, Josef Priller, Eike J Spruth, Slawek Altenstein, Andrea Lohse, Anja Schneider, Klaus Fliessbach, Jens Wiltfang, Niels Hansen, Ayda Rostamzadeh, Emrah Düzel, Wenzel Glanz, Enise I Incesoy, Michaela Butryn, Katharina Buerger, Daniel Janowitz, Michael Ewers, Robert Perneczky, Boris-Stephan Rauchmann, Stefan Teipel, Ingo Kilimann, Doreen Goerss, Christoph Laske, Matthias H Munk, Carolin Sanzenbacher, Annika Spottke, Nina Roy-Kluth, Michael T Heneka, Frederic Brosseron, Michael Wagner, Steffen Wolfsgruber, Luca Kleineidam, Melina Stark, Matthias Schmid, Frank Jessen, Oliver Bannach, Dieter Willbold, Oliver Peters

INTRODUCTION: Soluble amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers have been suggested as initiating Aβ related neuropathologic change in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but their quantitative distribution and chronological sequence within the AD continuum remain unclear.

METHODS: A total of 526 participants in early clinical stages of AD and controls from a longitudinal cohort were neurobiologically classified for amyloid and tau pathology applying the AT(N) system. Aβ and tau oligomers in the quantified cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured using surface-based fluorescence intensity distribution analysis (sFIDA) technology.

RESULTS: Across groups, highest Aβ oligomer levels were found in A+ with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment. Aβ oligomers were significantly higher in A+T- compared to A-T- and A+T+.  4 allele carriers showed significantly higher Aβ oligomer levels. No differences in tau oligomers were detected.

DISCUSSION: The accumulation of Aβ oligomers in the CSF peaks early within the AD continuum, preceding tau pathology. Disease-modifying treatments targeting Aβ oligomers might have the highest therapeutic effect in these disease stages.

HIGHLIGHTS: Using surface-based fluorescence intensity distribution analysis (sFIDA) technology, we quantified Aβ oligomers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of the DZNE-Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (DELCODE) cohortAβ oligomers were significantly elevated in mild cognitive impairment (MCI)Amyloid-positive subjects in the subjective cognitive decline (SCD) group increased compared to the amyloid-negative control groupInterestingly, levels of Aβ oligomers decrease at advanced stages of the disease (A+T+), which might be explained by altered clearing mechanisms.

© 2024 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.

PMID: 38666085

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