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Platelets, a reliable source for peripheral Alzheimer's disease biomarkers?
Michael Veitinger, Balazs Varga, Sheila B Guterres
1Institute of Physiology, Centre for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, 1090 Vienna, EU, Austria. maria.zellner@meduniwien.ac.at.
Insights
Peripheral biomarkers are crucial for diagnosing diseases like Alzheimer's. Blood platelets offer a promising alternative to invasive cerebrospinal fluid tests for identifying Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging populations face rising rates of age-related diseases, including cognitive deficits like Alzheimer's disease.
- Alzheimer's disease diagnosis is challenging antemortem due to limited sample access, with definitive diagnosis only postmortem.
- Current cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers require invasive lumbar punctures, creating a need for accessible peripheral biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review potential peripheral biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease found in blood platelets.
- To discuss the role, implications, and alterations of these platelet biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease.
- To assess the performance of platelet biomarkers using Hedge effect size where data is available.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating peripheral biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.
- Analysis of research on blood platelets as a source of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.
- Calculation of Hedge effect size to quantify biomarker performance.
Main Results:
- Blood platelets exhibit biochemical properties similar to neurons, making them a viable source for Alzheimer's biomarkers.
- Specific platelet biomarkers show alterations associated with Alzheimer's disease.
- Quantitative analysis (Hedge effect size) provides a measure of biomarker efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Platelet biomarkers represent a promising, less invasive approach for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.
- Further research into platelet biomarkers could significantly improve early and routine diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
- Accessible peripheral biomarkers are essential for managing the increasing burden of age-related cognitive decline.
Abstract:
Peripheral biomarkers play an indispensable role in quick and reliable diagnoses of any kind of disease. With the population ageing, the number of people suffering from age-related diseases is expected to rise dramatically over the coming decades. In particular, all types of cognitive deficits, such as Alzheimer's disease, will increase. Alzheimer's disease is characterised mainly by coexistence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in brain. Reliable identification of such molecular characteristics antemortem, however, is problematic due to restricted availability of appropriate sample material and definitive diagnosis is only possible postmortem. Currently, the best molecular biomarkers available for antemortem diagnosis originate from cerebrospinal fluid. Though, this is not convenient for routine diagnosis because of the required invasive lumbar puncture. As a consequence, there is a growing demand for additional peripheral biomarkers in a more readily accessible sample material. Blood platelets, due to shared biochemical properties with neurons, can constitute an attractive alternative as discussed here. This review summarises potential platelet Alzheimer's disease biomarkers, their role, implication, and alteration in the disease. For easy comparison of their performance, the Hedge effect size was calculated whenever data were available.
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