title: CSF tau markers are correlated with hippocampal volume in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Hippocampal atrophy as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are supportive features for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and are assumed to be indirect pathological markers of the disease. In AD patients, antemortem MRI hippocampal volumes (HVs) correlate with the density of neurofibrillary tangles (but not with senile plaques) at autopsy suggesting that HVs may better correlate with CSF tau and hyperphosphorylated tau (P-tau) levels than CSF amyloid beta protein (Aβ)(42) level. Here, we tested this hypothesis in a well-defined AD group. Patients were selected according to the New Research Criteria for AD, including specific episodic memory deficit and CSF AD profile (defined as abnormal ratio of Aβ(42):tau). MRI was performed within 6 months of lumbar puncture. HVs were obtained using automated segmentation software. Thirty-six patients were included. Left HV correlated with CSF tau (R = -0.53) and P-tau (R = -0.56) levels. Mean HVs correlated with the CSF P-tau level (R = -0.52). No correlation was found between any brain measurement and CSF Aβ(42) level. The CSF tau and P-tau levels, but not the CSF Aβ(42) level, correlated with HV, suggesting that CSF tau markers reflect the neuronal loss associated with the physiopathological process of AD.
authors.affiliation: Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de Moelle Épinière, UMR-S975, Paris, France. leocruzsouza@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Leonardo C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chupin
authors.forename: Foudil
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lamari
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jardel
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leclercq
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Colliot
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lehéricy
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarazin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001284:Atrophy / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D016875:tau Proteins