Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 3, 2026

Use of Capillary Electrophoresis Immunoassay to Search for Potential Biomarkers of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Human Platelets
11:03

Use of Capillary Electrophoresis Immunoassay to Search for Potential Biomarkers of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Human Platelets

Published on: February 10, 2020

Amyloid precursor protein in platelets: a peripheral marker for the diagnosis of sporadic AD

A Padovani1, L Pastorino, B Borroni

  • 1Dipt. Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Unità di Neurologia, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Italy. padovani@bshosp.osp.unibs.it

Neurology
|January 5, 2002
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

The ratio of amyloid precursor protein (APP) forms in platelets can help diagnose Alzheimer's disease (AD). This platelet APP ratio (APPr) shows high accuracy in distinguishing AD from other conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Neuroscience
  • Medical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Altered amyloid precursor protein (APP) forms are observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients' platelets.
  • A reduced ratio between upper (130 kDa) and lower (106-110 kDa) APP immunoreactivity bands is a key indicator.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the platelet APP forms ratio (APPr) as a diagnostic marker for AD.
  • To assess the utility of APPr in differentiating AD from normal aging and other neurological disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Western Blot analysis and immunostaining were used to evaluate platelet APPr in 85 probable AD patients and 95 controls.
  • APPr was calculated as the ratio of optical densities between the upper and lower APP immunoreactive bands.

Main Results:

  • Mean APPr levels were significantly lower in AD patients (0.35 +/- 0.18) compared to controls (0.92 +/- 0.38) (p < 0.0001).
  • Receiver Operating Curve analysis indicated a cut-off of 0.57 yielded 88.2% sensitivity and 89.4% specificity (AUC=0.945).
  • APPr levels correlated significantly with AD disease severity.

Conclusions:

  • Platelet APPr effectively differentiates AD from normal aging and other dementing disorders with high accuracy.
  • Platelet APPr shows potential as an adjunctive diagnostic tool in clinical settings for AD.

More Related Videos

Procoagulant Platelet Characterization by Measuring Phosphatidylserine Exposure and Microvesicle Release from Human Purified Platelets05:49

Procoagulant Platelet Characterization by Measuring Phosphatidylserine Exposure and Microvesicle Release from Human Purified Platelets

Published on: November 29, 2024

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting07:27

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting

Published on: May 16, 2013

Related Concept Videos

Mitochondrial Precursor Proteins01:39

Mitochondrial Precursor Proteins

Mitochondrial precursors are partially unfolded or loosely folded polypeptide chains. Newly synthesized precursors are inhibited from spontaneously folding into their native conformation by the cytosolic chaperones, heat shock proteins 70 (Hsp70), and mitochondrial import stimulation factors (MSFs). Precursors bound to MSFs are guided to the TOM70-TOM37 receptors, while precursors bound to Hsp70  chaperones are targetted to TOM20-TOM22 receptor complexes.
Most of the mitochondrial precursors...
Alternative RNA Splicing02:18

Alternative RNA Splicing

Alternative RNA splicing is the regulated splicing of exons and introns to produce different mature mRNAs from a single pre-mRNA. Unlike in constitutive splicing where a single gene produces a single type of mRNA, alternative splicing allows an organism to produce multiple proteins from a single gene and plays an important role in protein diversity.
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...