Abstract
Background: Antemortem levels of tau in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of Alzheimer’s
disease (AD) patients have repeatedly been demonstrated to be elevated when compared
to controls. Although CSF tau has been reported to be elevated even in very mild AD,
it is unknown how tau levels change during the course of the disease.
Methods: We have followed 29 mild-to-moderately affected AD subjects over 2 years
with repeated CSF taps. Clinical measures of dementia severity (Clinical Dementia
Rating Scale, Global Deterioration Scale and Mini-Mental Status Examination) were
obtained at the start and conclusion of the observation period, and CSF tau was measured
with a standard enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) using two monoclonal antibodies.
Results: Despite significant changes in the clinical measures consistent with progression
of the disease, no significant overall change in CSF tau levels (548 ± 355 vs. 557±275
pg/mL, NS) was observed. None of the clinical variables was significantly correlated
with either baseline measures of CSF tau or delta CSF tau (last-first). Similarly,
CSF tau at baseline and changes over time were not significantly related to Apolipoprotein
E (APO E) phenotype.
Conclusions: These data suggest that CSF tau levels are stable over extended periods
of time in a group of mild-to-moderately demented AD subjects and that CSF tau levels
do not predict the severity or rate of progression of AD, at least not during the
middle stages of the illness.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 4,
1999
Received in revised form:
April 12,
1999
Received:
July 17,
1998
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
