Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Astrocytes are an essential glial cell which express GFAP, a marker of astrocytic activation and structural integrity. A recent study by our group links serum GFAP levels to tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting its value as a diagnostic biomarker. Our aim is to examine the GFAP levels in serum (GFAPs) in correlation with various neuropathological variables, specifically focusing on the medial temporal lobe (MTL). METHOD: In 156 brains from the VARS dementia cohort, we analyzed a set of neuropathological variables including macroscopic data and classification and staging criteria for AD, Lewy Body Pathology (LBP), Cerebrovascular Disease (VD), Hippocampal sclerosis (HS), and TDP-43 pathology (LATE). RESULT: First, we observed a correlation between GFAPs and tissue GFAP immunostaining in the entorhinal cortex (r=0.211, p <0.05). Then, we found a correlation of GFAPs with brain weight (r=-0.366, p <0.001), NIA A (r=0.262, p <0.01), NIA B (r=0.416, p <0.001), NIA C (r=0.256, p <0.01), LPC classification (r=0.218; p <0.01), and with the presence of more combined pathologies with high burden (r=0.28, p <0.001). Besides, we observed a trend of increasing GFAPs values with higher stages of MTL atrophy, Braak tau, HS, and LATE. However, no significant correlation was detected between GFAPs and VD. Finally, a lineal regression model showed that NIA B (p <0.001), HS (head of the hippocampus) (p <0.05), and Braak α-syn stages (p <0.05) were the best predictors for GFAPs. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that GFAP in serum correlates with neuropathological variables, specially with tissue tau pathology, supporting the potential of GFAP as a diagnostic biomarker for AD and related pathologies, except for cerebrovascular disease.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
Authors: Alicia Uceda‐Heras, Iván Burgueño‐García, Paloma Ruiz‐Valderrey, Laura Saiz, María José López‐Martínez, Alberto Rabano
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,200
OpenAlex ID: W7118282576
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