Raised CSF phospho-tau concentrations in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: diagnostic and pathological implications.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate whether phosphorylated tau protein (tau-pT181) is increased in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and if the tau-pT181/tau protein ratio is useful for distinguishing between patients with and without CJD.

METHODS:

CSF tau protein and tau-pT181 were measured in 50 patients with sporadic CJD (sCJD), 51 patients with vCJD, 46 sCJD controls, and 37 vCJD controls, using Innotest hTau and Innotest P-Thr181, Innogenetics.

RESULTS:

Concentrations of CSF tau protein were increased in sCJD (5120 v 367 pg/ml in controls, p < 0.001) and vCJD (952 v 106 pg/ml, p < 0.001); tau-pT181 was also raised in sCJD (61 v 35 pg/ml in controls, p = 0.002) and vCJD (114 v 33 pg/ml, p < 0.001). Median concentrations of tau-pT181 were higher in vCJD than in sCJD (p < 0.001). The tau-pT181/tau protein ratio was lower than in controls in both sCJD (12 v 128 (p < 0.001)) and vCJD (119 v 279 (p < 0.001)). Mean tau-pT181/tau protein ratio was 10-fold higher in vCJD than in sCJD. Raised CSF tau protein had the highest efficiency for distinguishing sCJD and vCJD from controls.

CONCLUSIONS:

CSF tau-pT181 concentrations are raised in vCJD and are higher than in sCJD. Measurement of CSF tau-pT181/tau protein ratio does not improve the diagnostic efficiency of CSF tau protein alone for either vCJD or sCJD. The higher concentration of CSF tau-pT181 found in vCJD suggests that unexplained pathogenic factors influence the phosphorylation of tau protein in vCJD patients.

• Authors: C A Goodall, M W Head, D Everington, J W Ironside, R S G Knight, A J E Green
• Journal: Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry) Vol. 77 Issue 1 Pg. 89-91 (Jan 2006) ISSN: 0022-3050 [Print] England
• PMID: 16361602 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• tau Proteins

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Biomarkers (cerebrospinal fluid)
• Brain (metabolism, pathology)
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome (cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Phosphorylation
• tau Proteins (cerebrospinal fluid)