Further evidence about the crucial role of CSF biomarkers in diagnosis of posterior cortical atrophy.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (protein tau, phosphorylated tau and amyloid Beta 1-42) are recognized as a supportive feature in diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their role in identifying atypical variants of AD is currently under investigation. We dosed these proteins in nine patients clinically and instrumentally affected by posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a rare disorder characterized by a progressive neurodegenerative process that involves primarily the posterior brain regions. We compared the obtained values with a large group of AD patients (N = 117), recruited in our neurological department. Our data revealed no differences in the CSF profile between PCA and AD, showing abnormal values of protein tau, phosphorylated tau and amyloid Beta 1-42 in both groups of patients. This study underlines the diagnostic importance of CSF biomarkers in PCA patients, supporting the hypothesis that PCA is an atypical variant of AD with an onset before the age of 65.
Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy, coppi.elisabetta@hsr.it.
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Coppi
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Ferrari
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R
Santangelo
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F
Caso
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Pinto
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Passerini
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Comi
G
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Magnani
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001284:Atrophy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; C054369:MAPT protein, human; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D016875:tau Proteins