Transthyretin cerebrospinal fluid levels in Alzheimer's disease - is this a biomarker for disease severity?

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Aβ1-42, Aβ1-40, total tau and hyperphosphorylated tau have been reported to be suitable biomarkers in the diagnosis of AD. Additionally, transthyretin has been suggested as a biomarker as it has been shown to inhibit Aβ aggregation and the formation of senile plaques. Aggregates of Aβ1-42 are an important hallmark of the pathogenesis of AD. Patients with AD show significantly lower levels of transthyretin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compared with ageing controls or patients with other kinds of dementia. Furthermore, some data indicate that transthyretin levels reflect disease severity in AD. In conclusion, recent work demonstrates the potential of transthyretin as an additional biomarker in the neurochemical differential diagnosis of AD. © TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2009.