AUTHOR=Chen Nai-Ching , Chen Hsiu-Ling , Li Shau-Hsuan , Chang Yen-Hsiang , Chen Meng-Hsiang , Tsai Nai-Wen , Yu Chiun-Chieh , Yang Shieh-Yueh , Lu Cheng-Hsien , Lin Wei-Che 

TITLE=Plasma Levels of α-Synuclein, Aβ-40 and T-tau as Biomarkers to Predict Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2020.00112

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2020.00112

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>In this study, we assessed plasma biomarkers to identify cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients by applying ultra-sensitive immunomagnetic reduction-based immunoassay (IMR).</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>The study enrolled 60 PD patients and 28 age- and sex-matched normal controls. Complete cognitive function assessments were performed on participants using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating. PD patients with an MMSE score of ≦26 were defined as having cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, a 99mTc-TRODAT-1 scan was performed and plasma levels of Aβ-40, Aβ-42, T-tau, and α-synuclein were evaluated using IMR, subsequent correlation analyses were then performed.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Compared with normal adults, PD patients have higher plasma levels of α-synuclein and T-tau, and a lower level of Aβ-40 (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Plasma levels of α-synuclein (<italic>r</italic> = −0.323, <italic>p</italic> = 0.002), Aβ-40 (<italic>r</italic> = 0.276, <italic>p</italic> = 0.01), and T-tau (<italic>r</italic> = −0.322, <italic>p</italic> = 0.002) are significantly correlated with MMSE scores. The TRODAT scan results, including visual inspection and quantification, revealed significant correlations between Aβ-40 and PD. Multiple regression analysis showed that the plasma levels of Aβ-40 (OR = 0.921, 95% CI = 0.879–0.962), α-synuclein (OR = 3.016, 95% CI = 1.703–5.339), and T-tau (OR = 1.069, 95% CI = 1.026–1.115) were independently associated with PD patients with cognitive impairment. The cutoff values for predicting cognitive deficits in PD patients were 45.101 pg/ml of Aβ-40, (Area under curve (AUC) = 0.791), 0.389 pg/ml of α-synuclein, (AUC = 0.790), and 30.555 pg/ml of T-tau (AUC = 0.726).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Plasma levels of α-synuclein, Aβ-40, and T-tau are potential biomarkers to detect cognitive impairment in PD patients.</p></sec>