Based on proteomic analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), three distinct molecular subtypes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) were previously identified: one with increased proteins associated with neuronal hyperplasticity and high tau markers; another with abnormally low plasticity markers and blood-brain-barrier disruption; and the third showing indications of innate immune activation. To continue this line of investigation, Betty Tijms, PhD, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, has been assessing if these molecular subtypes can also be detected in blood. The study was conducted in 149 patients with AD with CSF and plasma proteomics. It was shown that comparable subtypes were also present in the blood, with similar pathway changes to those seen in the CSF. Dr Tijms then used the top contributing proteins to train a random forest-based classifier, which was able to distinguish each subtype in blood with an average accuracy of 75%. Further investigations in a larger cohort with combined blood and CSF proteomics are ongoing to further validate the use of this classifier. This interview took place at the AD/PD™ 2023 congress in Gothenburg, Sweden.
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