Mukaetova-Ladinska EB, Milne J, Andras A, Abdel-All Z, Cerejeira J, Greally E, Robson J, Jaros E, Perry R, McKeith IG, Brayne C, Xuereb J, Cleghorn A, Doherty J, McIntosh G, Milton I. Alpha- and gamma-synuclein proteins are present in cerebrospinal fluid and are increased in aged subjects with neurodegenerative and vascular changes.
Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2008;
26:32-42. [PMID:
18577885 DOI:
10.1159/000141039]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Disease-specific biomarkers should reflect a fundamental feature of neuropathology and be validated in neuropathologically confirmed cases. Several synaptic proteins have been described in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with dementia. In Lewy body disease alpha-synuclein is incorporated within Lewy bodies and alpha-, beta- and gamma-synucleins in dystrophic neuritis. These pathological changes are expected to be seen in CSF.
METHODS
A total of 25 CSF post-mortem samples (8 control and 17 subjects with dementia) were used to quantify alpha- and gamma-synucleins and IgG.
RESULTS
We describe for the first time the presence of gamma-synuclein in CSF. There is an elevation of both alpha- and gamma-synucleins in CSF from elderly individuals with Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease (LBD) and vascular dementia (CVD), compared to normal controls. gamma-Synuclein showed a greater elevation in LBD, IgG in CVD. The elevation of alpha- and gamma-synucleins was seen from Braak stage III onwards and remained stable until Braak stage VI. These results were not influenced by age at death or post-mortem delay.
CONCLUSIONS
The reported increases in alpha- and gamma-synucleins and IgG in the ventricular CSF of individuals with dementia are novel findings. They now need to be explored further using a greater number of cases in each subgroup, using lumbar CSF samples to determine their applicability and relevance to a clinical diagnostic setting. It needs to be established whether using these markers may help to discriminate LBD from other types of neurodegenerative and vascular dementias.
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