title: Biological markers for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: There is a compelling need to develop biological marker(s) to confirm a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) during life in order to unequivocally identify AD patients for emerging therapeutic interventions. This review describes recent advances in the development of diagnostic marker(s) for AD. They include polymorphism of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin as well as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau and CSF-amyloid beta-protein levels, skin biopsy, and pupil dilatation assay by anti-cholinergic agent. In conclusion, ApoE genotyping should not be used as a sole diagnostic test for AD, and that monitoring of CSF-tau appeared to be most promising and reliable diagnostic aid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D015415:Biomarkers; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009184:Mydriatics; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D014331:Tropicamide; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin / Q000235:genetics; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D015415:Biomarkers; D009184:Mydriatics; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D016875:tau Proteins; D014331:Tropicamide