Introduction: Synaptic damage, axonal neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation are common features in Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
Methods: Unicentric cohort of 353 participants included healthy control (HC) subjects, AD continuum stages, genetic AD and FTD, and FTD and CJD. We measured cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light (NF-L), neurogranin (Ng), 14-3-3, and YKL-40 proteins.
Results: Biomarkers showed differences in HC subjects versus AD, FTD, and CJD. Disease groups differed between them except AD versus FTD for YKL-40. Only NF-L differed between all stages within the AD continuum. AD and FTD symptomatic mutation carriers presented differences with respect to HC subjects. Applying the AT(N) system, 96% subjects were positive for neurodegeneration if 14-3-3 was used, 94% if NF-L was used, 62% if Ng was used, and 53% if YKL-40 was used.
Discussion: Biomarkers of synapse and neurodegeneration differentiate HC subjects from neurodegenerative dementias and between AD, FTD, and CJD. NF-L and 14-3-3 performed similar to total tau when AT(N) system was applied.
Keywords: 14-3-3; AT(N) system; Alzheimer's disease; Biomarker; Cerebrospinal fluid; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Frontotemporal dementia; MCI due to AD; Mutation carriers; Neu rofilament light; Neurogranin; Preclinical AD; YKL-40.
© 2019 the Alzheimer's Association.