Liver function and Alzheimer's brain pathologies: A longitudinal study: Liver and Alzheimer's pathologies

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Hepatology
• Gerontology

Background:

• The connection between liver function and Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology remains unclear.
• Understanding this link is crucial for identifying novel therapeutic targets for AD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between liver function markers and the progression of core Alzheimer's disease pathologies.
• To explore the potential role of the liver-brain axis in AD pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal cohort study (Korean Brain Aging Study) involving 347 older adults.
• Baseline and 2-year follow-up assessments included liver function tests (ALT, AST, total bilirubin) and brain imaging (amyloid-PET, tau-PET, FDG-PET, MRI).

Main Results:

• Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was associated with increased beta-amyloid deposition over 2 years (P_B = 0.012).
• Lower total bilirubin levels correlated with a greater increase in tau deposition over the same period (P_B < 0.001).
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) showed no significant association with AD pathology changes.

Conclusions:

• Reduced liver function may be linked to the accumulation of key Alzheimer's disease pathologies.
• The liver-brain axis presents a potential therapeutic or preventive target for Alzheimer's disease.