Peripheral sTREM2-Related Inflammatory Activity Alterations in Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroimmunology
• Neurodegenerative Diseases

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is linked to immune system genetic variants.
• Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 (TREM2) variants are AD risk factors.
• Soluble TREM2 (sTREM2) is elevated in early AD cerebrospinal fluid and slows cognitive decline.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between plasma sTREM2 and peripheral inflammatory activity in AD.
• To test the hypothesis that sTREM2-related inflammatory activity differs by AD stage.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of plasma sTREM2 levels and inflammatory factors across different AD stages.
• Correlation analysis between sTREM2 and inflammatory markers.

Main Results:

• Distinct inflammatory activity patterns were observed across AD stages, suggesting early peripheral sTREM2-related alterations.
• Fractalkine showed a significant relationship with sTREM2 in controls, diminishing in later AD stages.
• Fibroblast growth factor-2, GM-CSF, and IL-1β levels decreased in AD compared to mild cognitive impairment, with altered sTREM2 relationships.

Conclusions:

• sTREM2-related inflammatory activity alterations are specific to AD stages.
• Findings provide critical information for immune-focused therapeutic strategies in AD.