Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker panel for synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease

Introduction Synaptic dysfunction and degeneration is one of the earliest events in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the best correlate of cognitive decline. Thus, identification and validation of biomarkers reflecting synaptic degeneration to be used as prognostic biomarkers are greatly needed. Method Solid-phase extraction and parallel reaction monitoring mass spectrometry were used to quantify 17 synaptic proteins in CSF, in two cross-sectional studies including AD (n = 52) and controls (n = 37). Results Increased concentrations of beta-synuclein, gamma-synuclein, neurogranin, phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1, and 14-3-3 proteins were observed in AD patients compared to controls, while neuronal pentraxin-2 and neuronal pentraxin receptor were decreased. Discussion We have established a method with a novel panel of synaptic proteins as biomarkers of synaptic dysfunction. The results indicate that several of the proteins included in the panel may serve as synaptic biomarkers for AD.

Automated summary

This study identified a novel panel of synaptic proteins as biomarkers of synaptic dysfunction, with increased concentrations observed in AD patients compared to controls, suggesting their potential use as synaptic biomarkers for AD.