Cerebrospinal fluid neurochemical phenotypes in vascular dementias: Original data and mini-review

Background/Aims: The study evaluated the patterns of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides, total tau and phospho-tau among Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementias (VAD). Methods: A beta-SDS-PAGE immunoblot and commercially available ELISAs were applied to the CSF analysis of 52 patients with probable (n = 21) and possible (n = 16) VAD, AD with cerebrovascular disease (n = 15), 30 patients with probable AD and 30 nondemented disease controls. Results: AD and AD with cerebrovascular disease displayed a similar neurochemical phenotype in contrast to nondemented disease controls and probable VAD with regard to tau, p-tau, A beta-40(ox) and A beta 1-42%. Possible VAD displayed AD-like changes only for A beta 1-40(ox) and A beta 1-42%. Conclusion: CSF neurochemical phenotypes sufficiently discriminate probable AD and VAD from each other, but their diagnostic value is limited in case of no clear-cut clinical appearance, such as possible VAD. Conversely, CSF A beta peptides and p-tau levels may help estimate the involvement of AD-like pathophysiological pathways in VAD subgroups. Copyright (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.