Longitudinal progression of blood biomarkers reveals a key role of astrocyte reactivity in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

ABSTRACT: Defining the progression of blood biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is essential for targeting treatments in patients most likely to benefit from early intervention. We delineated the temporal ordering of blood biomarkers a decade prior to the onset of AD symptoms in participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. We show that increased astrocyte reactivity, assessed by elevated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels is an early event in the progression of blood biomarker changes in preclinical AD. In AD-converters who are initially cognitively unimpaired (N=158, 377 serial plasma samples), higher plasma GFAP levels are observed as early as 10-years prior to the onset of cognitive impairment due to incident AD compared to individuals who remain cognitively unimpaired

SUBMITTER: Varma VR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10854357 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature