Frontiers in Neurology (Feb 2022)

Tau and Amyloid-β Peptides in Serum of Patients With Parkinson's Disease: Correlations With CSF Levels and Clinical Parameters

  • Tommaso Schirinzi,
  • Henri Zenuni,
  • Piergiorgio Grillo,
  • Roberta Bovenzi,
  • Gisella Guerrera,
  • Francesca Gargano,
  • Massimo Pieri,
  • Sergio Bernardini,
  • Nicola Biagio Mercuri,
  • Nicola Biagio Mercuri,
  • Luca Battistini,
  • Giulia Maria Sancesario

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.748599
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Relevance of blood-based biomarkers is increasing into the neurodegenerative diseases field, but data on Parkinson's disease (PD) remain still scarce. In this study, we used the SiMoA technique to measure serum content of total tau protein and amyloid-β peptides (Aβ-42, Aβ-40) in 22 PD patients and ten control subjects. Serum levels of each biomarker were correlated with the respective CSF levels in both the groups; in PD patients, also the correlations between serum biomarkers and main clinical parameters were tested (motor, non-motor, cognitive scores and levodopa equivalent daily dose). Serum biomarkers did not exhibit quantitative differences between patients and controls; however, only PD patients had inter-fluids (serum-CSF) associations in tau and amyloid-β-42 levels. Moreover, serum content of tau protein was inversely correlated with cognitive performances (MoCA score). These findings, albeit preliminary, indicate that brain-derived peptides may change in parallel in both peripheral blood and CSF of PD patients, eventually even in association with some clinical features. Further studies are now needed to validate the use of blood-based biomarkers in PD.

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