TY - JOUR
T1 - Metal-score as a potential non-invasive diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease
AU - Squitti, R
AU - Pasqualetti, P
AU - Polimanti, R
AU - Salustri, C
AU - Moffa, F
AU - Cassetta, E
AU - Lupoi, D
AU - Ventriglia, M
AU - Cortesi, M
AU - Siotto, M
AU - Vernieri, F
AU - Rossini, Paolo Maria
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - The link between biometals and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been investigated with a focus on local metal accumulations. In this work, we have looked at systemic metal changes and computed a score (M-score) based on metal disarrangements to discriminate patients with AD from patients with vascular dementia (VaD) and from controls. We measured serum levels of iron, copper, ceruloplasmin, transferrin, and total antioxidant capacity (TAS), performed Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping and calculated non-ceruloplasmin copper ('free' copper') levels, transferrin saturation, total iron binding capacity, and ceruloplasmin-transferrin ratio (Cp/Tf) in 93 patients with AD, 45 patients with VaD, and 48 controls. All subjects underwent biochemical, neuroimaging and cognitive evaluations. Significant differences were observed among the tested groups for the levels of copper, free copper, peroxides, and TAS and for the Cp/Tf with disparity in couple comparison. On this basis we created the M-score as linear combination of biometal variables and APOE genotype. Besides its ability to discriminate AD patients vs. controls (ROC AUC=90%), M-score was able to distinguish AD vs. VaD (ROC AUC=79%). Moreover, we calculated the sensitivity and the specificity for M-score and for the other significant variables: M-score reached the highest sensitivity without a relevant loss in terms of specificity. When we compared M-score with APOE genotype and Medial Temporal Atrophy score, it resulted statistically better than these diagnostic markers. In conclusion, we confirm the link between biometals and AD and suggest its potential as diagnostic tool. Further studies may elucidate its potential role as reliable diagnostic test.
AB - The link between biometals and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been investigated with a focus on local metal accumulations. In this work, we have looked at systemic metal changes and computed a score (M-score) based on metal disarrangements to discriminate patients with AD from patients with vascular dementia (VaD) and from controls. We measured serum levels of iron, copper, ceruloplasmin, transferrin, and total antioxidant capacity (TAS), performed Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping and calculated non-ceruloplasmin copper ('free' copper') levels, transferrin saturation, total iron binding capacity, and ceruloplasmin-transferrin ratio (Cp/Tf) in 93 patients with AD, 45 patients with VaD, and 48 controls. All subjects underwent biochemical, neuroimaging and cognitive evaluations. Significant differences were observed among the tested groups for the levels of copper, free copper, peroxides, and TAS and for the Cp/Tf with disparity in couple comparison. On this basis we created the M-score as linear combination of biometal variables and APOE genotype. Besides its ability to discriminate AD patients vs. controls (ROC AUC=90%), M-score was able to distinguish AD vs. VaD (ROC AUC=79%). Moreover, we calculated the sensitivity and the specificity for M-score and for the other significant variables: M-score reached the highest sensitivity without a relevant loss in terms of specificity. When we compared M-score with APOE genotype and Medial Temporal Atrophy score, it resulted statistically better than these diagnostic markers. In conclusion, we confirm the link between biometals and AD and suggest its potential as diagnostic tool. Further studies may elucidate its potential role as reliable diagnostic test.
KW - metal-score
KW - metal-score
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/41177
M3 - Article
SN - 1567-2050
SP - N/A-N/A
JO - Current Alzheimer Research
JF - Current Alzheimer Research
ER -