Higher cathepsin B levels in plasma in Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy controls

Cathepsin B is suggested to be involved in amyloid-β (Aβ) processing and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Studies of cathepsin B levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have not been previously performed. We examined cathepsin B levels in plasma and CSF samples in persons with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls in order to test the hypothesis that cathepsin B levels can discriminate persons with AD or MCI from healthy controls. Cathepsin B, Cystatin C, Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, total tau, phosphorylated tau, and albumin levels in plasma and CSF were analyzed by ELISA (Cathepsin B) turbidimetry (cystatin C), xMAP Luminex technology (Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 and tau), and Cobas C501 analyzer (albumin) in persons with AD (n=101), MCI (n=84), and healthy control subjects (n=28). Plasma cathepsin B levels were higher in persons with AD compared to healthy controls, both in unadjusted models and in multivariable models adjusting for age, gender, APOE genotype, cystatin C, and albumin levels: Odds ratio (OR) for AD per 1 SD of plasma cathepsin B; 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.01-4.14, p= 0.05. There was no difference between diagnostic groups in cathepsin B levels in CSF: OR for AD per 1 SD of CSF cathepsin B; 0.93, 95% CI; 0.37-2.30, p= 0.87. Plasma cathepsin B levels were higher in persons with AD compared to healthy controls whereas there was no difference between diagnostic groups in cathepsin B levels in CSF. Further investigation of cathepsin B as a predictor of AD is warranted.