Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
08:40
Absolute Quantification of Aβ1-42 in CSF Using a Mass Spectrometric Reference Measurement Procedure
Published on: March 21, 2017
Detecting amyloid-β pathology in subjective cognitive decline using plasma and CSF biomarkers
José Contador1, Federico Emanuele Pozzi2, Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides3
1Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, 08005, Spain; Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, 08003, Spain; Servei de Neurologia, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, 08003, Spain.
Ebiomedicine
|June 16, 2026
Summary
Novel plasma biomarkers can effectively rule out Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloid pathology in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). These accessible markers aid in early AD detection and risk stratification.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomarker Discovery
- Alzheimer's Disease Research
Background:
- Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may precede Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Limited biomarker studies exist for SCD, hindering early AD detection.
- This study investigated novel cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood biomarkers for amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology in SCD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the performance of novel CSF and blood biomarkers for detecting Aβ pathology in individuals with SCD.
- To evaluate the utility of these biomarkers across different platforms.
- To identify accessible and cost-effective tools for early AD detection.
Main Methods:
- 143 individuals with SCD from the β-AARC cohort were analyzed.
- Aβ status was determined using CSF Aβ42/40 ratio.
- CSF and plasma biomarkers for Aβ, tau, synaptic function, neurodegeneration, and glial reactivity were measured cross-sectionally.
Main Results:
- Novel CSF tau variants (p-tau205, p-tau217, p-tau231, p-tau235, NTA-tau) were elevated in Aβ-positive SCD individuals.
- Plasma biomarkers, particularly p-tau217 and p-tau217/Aβ42, showed strong discriminatory performance and high negative predictive value.
- Platform-dependent results were observed for p-tau181, p-tau181/Aβ42, and Aβ42/40 in plasma, with limited positive predictive value due to low Aβ pathology prevalence.
Conclusions:
- Several plasma biomarkers can effectively exclude Aβ pathology in SCD.
- Certain CSF and plasma markers indicate early AD-related changes.
- Plasma biomarkers offer accessible, cost-effective tools for early AD detection, risk stratification, and clinical trial candidate selection.
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