Distinct CSF α-synuclein aggregation profiles associated with Alzheimer's disease phenotypes and MCI-to-AD conversion

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) pathology is present in 30-50 % of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and its interactions with tau proteins may further exacerbate pathological changes in AD. However, the specific role of different aggregation forms of α-Syn in the progression of AD remains unclear.

To explore the relationship between various aggregation types of CSF α-Syn and Alzheimer's disease progression.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) to examine the association between different α-Syn aggregation forms-Syn0 (no detectable α-Syn aggregates) and Syn1 (α-Syn aggregates detected, resembling those found in Parkinson's disease)-with the pathological and clinical features of AD. Additionally, we evaluated their potential as predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD.

The ADNI database.

A total of 250 participants, including 70 cognitively normal controls, 119 patients diagnosed with MCI, and 61 patients diagnosed with AD.

Pearson correlation was employed to assess the relationship between α-Syn levels and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, including total tau (T-tau), phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and amyloid-β₄₂ (Aβ₄₂). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were applied, adjusting for APOE4 status, age, and sex, to determine the association between α-Syn forms and AD-related pathological and clinical outcomes. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to evaluate the prognostic value of different α-Syn aggregation states in predicting the conversion from MCI to AD.

Compared with controls, overall MCI and AD patients had elevated α-Syn levels. Notably, in the α-Syn0 group, α-Syn levels were increased in the MCI patients and further increased in AD patients, whereas in the α-Syn1 group, α-Syn levels did not significantly differ across diagnostic groups. Both in the α-Syn0 and α-Syn1 groups, α-Syn levels were found to correlate more strongly with CSF tau levels than with Aβ₄₂, indicating a possible role for α-Syn in tau-related pathology in AD. Importantly, α-Syn0-AD patients exhibited more rapid cognitive decline and greater hippocampal atrophy than α-Syn1-AD patients. However, MCI patients with CSF α-Syn1 aggregation status had an increased risk of conversion to AD.

CSF α-Syn is associated with tau pathology and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The distinct aggregation profiles of α-Syn serve as valuable biomarkers, offering insights into differing prognoses in AD and aiding in the prediction of early disease progression.