Concentrations of metals, beta-amyloid and tau-markers in cerebrospinal fluid in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, metal concentrations were related to the levels of well-known Alzheimer markers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), such as amyloid-beta (Abeta), total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated-tau (P-tau).


METHODS
Concentrations of 19 metals (Mg, Ca, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Hg and Pb by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) and the levels of Abeta, T-tau and P-tau in CSF were determined (xMAP technology) in 264 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and in 54 healthy referents.


RESULTS
The AD subjects showed positive correlations between CSF-T-tau and CSF-P-tau versus CSF-Mn (r(s) = 0.22, p = 0.004; r(s) = 0.18, p = 0.021). CSF-T-tau, however, showed a negative correlation with CSF-Cs (r(s) = -0.17; p = 0.027). In subjects with severe AD, CSF-Abeta showed a strong positive correlation with CSF-Cs (r(s) = 0.49; p = 0.026), while CSF-T-tau showed a strong negative correlation with CSF-Cs (r(s) = -0.49; p = 0.026). Also, CSF P-tau was negatively associated with CSF-Cs (r(s) = -0.41; p = 0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
The different relationships between the CSF-levels of Abeta and tau-markers versus the levels of CSF-Mn and CSF-Cs may be due to different binding affinity between these metals and metal binding proteins in the CSF and the surrounding brain.
Gerhardsson
Lars
L
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy and University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden. lars.gerhardsson@amm.gu.se
Blennow
Kaj
K
Lundh
Thomas
T
Londos
Elisabet
E
Minthon
Lennart
L
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D012372:ROC Curve; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D008670:Metals; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D016875:tau Proteins