title: Elevated levels of cerebrospinal fluid neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a neuronal glycolytic enzyme of which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels are found altered following acute or prolonged neuronal damage. Investigations concerning the role of NSE in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are conflicting with both elevated and reduced levels. We measured CSF-levels of NSE in 32 patients with AD and 32 healthy subjects (HS) using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Mean levels of adjusted NSE were significantly elevated in AD (18.12 ng/mL (95% CI 15.63-20.60), HS 8.46 ng/mL (95% CI 5.98-10.94), p=0.00002) and effect size for mean group differences high (1.84). NSE alone (cut-off score 15.80 ng/mL, 94% sensitivity, 97% specificity) and in combination with T-tau and P-Tau had high diagnostic accuracy to differentiate AD from HS. NSE correlated significantly with T-tau (r ≥ 0.87, p<0.000001) and P-tau (r ≥ 0.88, p<0.000001) in both AD and HS. Our results indicate elevated CSF-NSE levels to reflect altered neuronal metabolism in AD that may be used in supporting AD diagnostics.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: frank.schmidt2@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Frank Martin
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mergl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Liebigstr. 27, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stach
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Hermann-Josef
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gertz
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweisstr. 10, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schönknecht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016875:tau Proteins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Cerebrospinal fluid; Major depressive disorder; NSE; Neuron-specific enolase; Tau