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Amyloid β-protein, Cystatin C and Cathepsin B as Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease

It is suggested that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is caused by an imbalance between production, degradation and clearance of the amyloid-β (Aβ) protein. This imbalance leads to aggregation of Aβ and tau proteins and neurodegeneration in the brain. Today there is increasing evidence that the balance between the protease cathepsin B and the protease inhibitor cystatin C affects the tendency for Aβ to aggregate. The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate Aβ, cystatin C and cathepsin B levels in blood and cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) in relation to the risk of AD. Studies I & II were based on the re-examinations of participants, at ages 70 and 77, in the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM), a community-based prospective study initiated in 1970 (participants then being 50 years of age). In ULSAM, low plasma Aβ1-40 (Study I) and low serum cystatin C levels (Study II) were associated with a higher risk of AD. Studies III & IV were based on a cross-sectional sample of people with AD, mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls, recruited at three Swedish Memory Disorder units: Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, and Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm. In Study III, CSF cystatin C levels were positively correlated with both Aβ1-42 and tau levels. In Study IV, individuals with AD had higher mean plasma cathepsin B levels than healthy controls. In conclusion, low plasma Aβ1-40 and low serum cystatin C levels may precede clinically manifest AD in elderly men, cystatin C levels are positively correlated with Aβ1-42 and tau levels in CSF, and mean plasma cathepsin B levels are higher in people with AD compared to healthy controls. In addition to Aβ1-42 and tau levels in CSF, Aβ1-40, cystatin C and cathepsin B levels in blood may reflect the risk of AD.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-132175
Date January 2010
CreatorsSundelöf, Johan
PublisherUppsala universitet, Geriatrik, Uppsala : Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeDoctoral thesis, comprehensive summary, info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
RelationDigital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine, 1651-6206 ; 626

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