title: Differentially charged isoforms of apolipoprotein E from human blood are potential biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the major cause of dementia among the elderly. Finding blood-based biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis is urgently needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied protein distributions in brain tissues, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and blood of AD patients by using proteomics and a new proteomic method that we call "2D multiplexed Western blot" (2D mxWd). This method allows us to determine in multiple samples the electrophoretic patterns of protein isoforms with different isoelectric points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) displays a unique distribution of electrophoretic isoforms in the presence of AD and also a unique pattern specific to the APOE genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The isoelectric distribution of differentially charged ApoE isoforms was used to determine the presence of AD in a small group of samples. Further studies are needed to validate their use as predictors of disease onset and progression, and as biomarkers for determining the efficacy of therapeutic treatments.
authors.affiliation: Systems Proteomics Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA ; School of Medicine, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellin, Colombia ; Current address: 108 Reynolds Medical Building, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77843-1114, USA.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alzate
authors.affiliation: Systems Proteomics Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osorio
authors.affiliation: Systems Proteomics Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: DeKroon
authors.affiliation: Systems Proteomics Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corcimaru
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Harsha P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Gunawardena