Bace1 Levels Are Increased in Plasma Of Alzheimer’S Disease Patients Compared with Matched Cognitively Healthy Controls

Abstract

Aim: BACE1 is the secretase that acts in Aβ production in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Materials & methods: We investigated mRNA expression in total blood and the levels of plasma protein BACE1 in AD patients compared with cognitively healthy subjects. Probable AD (n = 47) and non-AD control group (n = 32) were evaluated for mRNA expression for BACE1 using reverse transcription-qPCR. A subsample of n = 21 AD and n = 20 non-AD had plasma BACE1 levels analyzed, using ELISA. Results: No differences were found on BACE1 mRNA between groups. However, higher levels of BACE1 were detected in plasma of AD patients. Discussion: Blood-based diagnostic tools are desired to improve AD diagnosis. BACE1 plasma levels could provide an additional diagnostic tool for AD in association with neuropsychological tests.

Keywords::

• Alzheimer’s disease
• BACE1
• biomarkers
• dementia

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the nurse team for the biological material collection and to all family members and elderly who accepted to participate in this research.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) under Grant numbers 2013/06879-4, 2012/08654-7 and 2014/06580-1. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

This research received the approval of the Ethics Committee from the Federal University of São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil, under protocol number (CAAE: 02760312.0.0000.5504/112.543). In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) under Grant numbers 2013/06879-4, 2012/08654-7 and 2014/06580-1. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.