Helena Sophia Gleerup1, Camilla Steen Jensen2, Peter Høgh3, Steen Gregers Hasselbalch4, Anja Hviid Simonsen2. 1. Department of Neurology, Danish Dementia Research Centre (DDRC), Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Electronic address: helena.sophia.gleerup.fornitz.01@regionh.dk. 2. Department of Neurology, Danish Dementia Research Centre (DDRC), Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. 3. Regional Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. 4. Department of Neurology, Danish Dementia Research Centre (DDRC), Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The pathological changes in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders begin decades prior to their clinical expression. However, the clinical diagnosis of neurodegenerative dementias is not straightforward. Lactoferrin is an iron-binding, antimicrobial glycoprotein with a plethora of functions, including acting as an important immune modulator and by having a bacteriocidic effect. Two previous studies indicated that salivary lactoferrin could differentiate between neurodegenerative dementias. METHODS: A total of 222 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and saliva samples from a consecutive, mixed memory clinic population were analysed for lactoferrin. In addition, the association between lactoferrin in CSF and saliva and the concentration of tau, phosphorylated tau (p-tau) and amyloid 1-42 (Aβ42) in CSF were addressed. FINDINGS: CSF lactoferrin was assessed for the first time in a cohort of patients with neurodegenerative dementias. No significant differences were found in the levels of CSF or saliva lactoferrin between the diagnostic groups. In addition, no significant relationships were found between lactoferrin levels and tau, p-tau and Aβ42, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Neither CSF nor saliva lactoferrin could differentiate between neurodegenerative dementias in this study.
BACKGROUND: The pathological changes in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders begin decades prior to their clinical expression. However, the clinical diagnosis of neurodegenerative dementias is not straightforward. Lactoferrin is an iron-binding, antimicrobial glycoprotein with a plethora of functions, including acting as an important immune modulator and by having a bacteriocidic effect. Two previous studies indicated that salivary lactoferrin could differentiate between neurodegenerative dementias. METHODS: A total of 222 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and saliva samples from a consecutive, mixed memory clinic population were analysed for lactoferrin. In addition, the association between lactoferrin in CSF and saliva and the concentration of tau, phosphorylated tau (p-tau) and amyloid 1-42 (Aβ42) in CSF were addressed. FINDINGS: CSF lactoferrin was assessed for the first time in a cohort of patients with neurodegenerative dementias. No significant differences were found in the levels of CSF or saliva lactoferrin between the diagnostic groups. In addition, no significant relationships were found between lactoferrin levels and tau, p-tau and Aβ42, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Neither CSF nor saliva lactoferrin could differentiate between neurodegenerative dementias in this study.