Plasma and neuroimaging biomarkers of small vessel disease and Alzheimer's disease in a diverse cohort: MESA
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Little is known about how Alzheimer's disease (AD) plasma biomarkers relate to cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) neuroimaging biomarkers. METHODS: The study involved 251 Wake Forest Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Exam 6 participants with plasma AD biomarkers, MRI, amyloid PET, and adjudicated cognitive status. Multivariable models examined cross-sectional relationships between plasma and neuroimaging biomarkers, considering comorbidities. RESULTS: Lower Aβ42/Aβ40, and higher GFAP, NfL, and p-tau217 were associated with greater neurodegeneration. Lower plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 and higher p-tau217 and p-tau231 were associated with greater Aβ PET deposition. NfL was positively associated with WMH and WM Free Water. P-tau measures were positively associated with WM Free Water. Lower Aβ42/Aβ40 was associated with presence of microbleeds. GFAP was positively associated with WMH. DISCUSSION: We observed expected associations of plasma biomarkers with cognitive status and imaging biomarkers. GFAP, NfL, p-tau181, p-tau217, and p-tau231 are associated with cSVD in addition to AD-related pathology.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
DOI: 10.1002/alz.71131
Authors: Samuel N. Lockhart, Courtney L. Sutphen, Jordan Tanley, Fernando Gonzalez‐Ortiz, Przemysław R. Kac, Mohamad Habes, Susan R. Heckbert, Nicholas J. Ashton, Michelle M. Mielke, Robert Koeppe, Marc D. Rudolph, Kiran K. Solingapuram Sai, Christopher T. Whitlow, Kevin D. Hiatt, Suzanne Craft, Thomas C. Register, Kathleen M. Hayden, Stephen R. Rapp, Bonnie C. Sachs, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Thomas K. Karikari, Timothy M. Hughes
Institutions: Wake Forest University, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center, University of Washington, King's College London, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University College London, University of Science and Technology of China, Sorbonne Université, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, University of Pittsburgh
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,200
Awards: G1261793039, MESA, G1276754516, G1294553593, G1640378483, G1983464145, G2095942735, G2144938473, G219693323, G2209417446, G22458031, MESA, G2726417417, MESA, G2837638605, G290884426, G291913881, SUBCLINICAL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE STUDY--EBCT READING, G3595232572, G370977179, MESA, G4186766937, TITLE: MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS (MESA), G4309390892, G4590187187, G4659638920, OPTION 3. 4/1/2014 - 3/31/2015. MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS (MESA) - READING CENTER, NHLBI, MESA, G4986157935, G5075046117, G5108002584, SUBCLINICAL CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE STUDY-ULTRASOUND, G5653954166, G6127571511, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, MESA, G66341962, G6856766826, G7166352866, MESA, G78770644, Clinical and Translational Science Award, G8145863542, Subclinical Vascular Contributions to Alzheimer's Disease: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Multisite Study of AD (Renewal), Vascular Imaging Biomarker Relationships to Alzheimer’s disease (VIBRA), Multiethnic machine learning brain signatures of ADRD, Cerebral tau deposition and comorbid cerebrovascular disease across the Alzheimer's disease continuum in Mexican Americans, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis- Cellular Exosomes in Neurodegeneration and Dementia (MESA-CEND), Translational Training in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Disorders, Plasma brain-derived tau: a novel Alzheimer’s disease-type neurodegeneration biomarker with potential to complete the AT(N) scheme in blood, G94668252, G991334795
OpenAlex ID: W7127335305