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

BACKGROUND

Defining the progression of blood biomarkers in 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, explored associations with AD brain pathology, and examined the relationship between reactive astrocytosis in the brain and plasma in a transgenic mouse model.

METHODS

We analyzed plasma blood biomarkers using the Quanterix HD-X instrument in case-control and postmortem cohorts from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (BLSA). We assessed plasma and cortical reactive astrocytosis, measured by glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), in 5xFAD transgenic and wild-type mice.

FINDINGS: In AD-converters (N = 158, 377 samples), higher plasma GFAP levels are observed 10 years prior to the onset of cognitive impairment due to AD compared with individuals who remain cognitively unimpaired (N = 160, 379 samples). Plasma GFAP levels are highest in neuropathologically confirmed AD, intermediate in asymptomatic AD, and lowest in cognitively unimpaired and associated with severity of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. GFAP-labeled immunoreactive astrocytes in the cortex of 3- and 7-month-old 5xFAD transgenic mice increased relative to wild-type mice and higher blood GFAP concentration was associated with more GFAP-expressing astrocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

Reactive astrocytosis, assessed by elevated GFAP levels, is an early event in the progression of blood biomarker changes in preclinical AD, may be an early marker of AD pathogenesis, and a promising therapeutic target.

FUNDING: Intramural Research Program, NIA.