title: Increased cerebrospinal fluid calpain activity and microparticle levels in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Calpain has been associated with the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and with apoptotic neuronal cell death leading to microparticles (MPs) formation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 64 patients with AD and 52 age- and gender-matched cognitively healthy elderly controls were included in the study. We measured calpain activity and levels of MPs, amyloid beta (Aβ1-42), h-tau, and p-tau181.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AD patients showed significantly increased calpain activity and higher levels of MPs in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and significantly decreased calpain activity and lower levels of MPs in serum and plasma compared with healthy controls. Combined assessment of calpain activity and Aβ1-42 levels in CSF improved diagnostic accuracy as compared with singular or combined traditional CSF biomarkers of AD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study showing increased calpain activity and microparticle levels in CSF of AD patients. Calpain activity could represent a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and promising treatment target for AD.
authors.affiliation: Section for Dementia Research, Hertie-Institute of Clinical Brain Research and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address: christoph.laske@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laske
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Centre of Internal Medicine III, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Vascular Inflammation Group, Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Centre of Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stellos
authors.affiliation: Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kempter
authors.affiliation: Section for Dementia Research, Hertie-Institute of Clinical Brain Research and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stransky
authors.affiliation: DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Neurodegeneration, Center of Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maetzler
authors.affiliation: Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Voahanginirina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Randriamboavonjy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002154:Calpain / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; 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; D002154:Calpain
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; CSF; Calpain activity; Dementia; Microparticles; Plasma; Serum