A fully automated immunoassay for plasma kallikrein-8: Development and evaluation in mild cognitive impairment

Early diagnosis of dementia is critical for timely treatment and management before the disease progresses to a severe stage. In this study, we aimed to evaluate plasma kallikrein-8 (KLK8) as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage.

We developed a fully automated KLK8 immunoassay using the Automated Immunoassay System HISCL^TM-5000 and assessed its analytical performance. Using this method, plasma levels of KLK8, along with other well-established biomarkers-neurofilament light chain (NfL), tau, tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (p-tau181), and amyloid β (Aβ) 40 and 42-were measured in eighty participants enrolled at the Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center. The cohort included twenty-six controls, forty-one with MCI, and thirteen with dementia.

The newly developed fully automated KLK8 immunoassay demonstrated strong analytical performance using 30 µL of plasma. In clinical evaluations, plasma KLK8 levels were significantly elevated in the MCI group compared to controls. Correlation analysis revealed that KLK8 significantly correlates with plasma levels of NfL and tau, both early neurodegeneration markers, as well as Aβ40. These findings suggest that KLK8 may serve as a predictive marker of early neurodegeneration at the MCI stage.

Plasma KLK8 levels may therefore predict the early stage of dementia and represent a promising biomarker for disease prognosis.