Elevated plasma levels of soluble TNFRs and TACE activity in Alzheimer's disease patients of Northern Han Chinese descent.
BACKGROUND
We recently reported elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors and TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) activity in subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a Caucasian population. The TNF receptor-mediated signaling pathway contributes to the production of Aβ and the subsequent cytotoxicity that is observed in AD brains. However, whether the plasma levels of soluble TNF receptors (sTNFRs) are changed is still unclear in AD patients of Han descent.


METHODS
In the present study, we analyzed the plasma sTNFR levels using commercially available immunoassay kits in 76 AD patients and 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects of Northern Han Chinese descent. Furthermore, the TACE activity was measured using a solution-based assay containing a fluorescently labeled TACE substrate.


RESULTS
AD patients exhibited higher levels of both sTNFR and TACE activity in their plasma compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects. The levels of sTNFR1 strongly correlated with the levels of sTNFR2 (rs =0.526, P < 0.001). In addition, the levels of sTNFR1 were significantly correlated with TACE activity (rs = 0.308, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that sTNFRs and TACE activity might serve as potential peripheral diagnostic candidate biomarkers in AD.
Department of Physiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders and State Key Disciplines: Physiology, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Lin
L
Bai
Ning
N
Song
Jintai
J
Yu
Lan
L
Tan
Yong
Y
Shen
Junxia
J
Xie
Hong
H
Jiang
D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D000072198:ADAM17 Protein; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000072198:ADAM17 Protein; C000606462:ADAM17 protein, human