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Serum beta-secretase 1 (BACE1) activity as candidate biomarker for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease

  • Carlo CervellatiEmail author
  • Alessandro Trentini
  • Valentina Rosta
  • Angelina Passaro
  • Cristina Bosi
  • Juana Maria Sanz
  • Stefania Bonazzi
  • Salvatore Pacifico
  • Davide Seripa
  • Giuseppe Valacchi
  • Remo Guerini
  • Giovanni Zuliani
Original Article
First Online:

Abstract

Beta-secretase (BACE1) is a key enzyme in the formation of amyloid-β; its activity/concentration is increased in brain and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD). Since BACE1 was found also in blood, we evaluated its potential as peripheral biomarker. To this aim, serum BACE1 activity was assessed in 115 subjects with LOAD and 151 controls. We found that BACE1 changed across groups (p < 0.001) with a 25% increase in LOAD versus controls. High levels of BACE1 (IV quartile) were independently associated with the diagnosis of LOAD (OR 2.8; 1.4–5.7). Diagnostic accuracy was 76% for LOAD. Our data suggest that increased BACE1 activity in serum may represent a potential biomarker for LOAD. Additional studies are needed to confirm the usefulness of BACE1, alone or in combination with other markers, in discriminating patients and predicting LOAD onset and progression.

Keywords

Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease Mild cognitive impairment Mixed dementia Blood-based biomarkers BACE1 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr Arianna Romani for helping in the assay optimization.

Funding information

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Supplementary material

11357_2019_127_MOESM1_ESM.docx (606 kb)
ESM 1 (DOCX 605 kb)

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Copyright information

© American Aging Association 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  • Carlo Cervellati
    • 1
    Email author
  • Alessandro Trentini
    • 1
  • Valentina Rosta
    • 1
  • Angelina Passaro
    • 2
  • Cristina Bosi
    • 2
  • Juana Maria Sanz
    • 2
  • Stefania Bonazzi
    • 2
  • Salvatore Pacifico
    • 3
  • Davide Seripa
    • 4
  • Giuseppe Valacchi
    • 1
    • 5
    • 6
  • Remo Guerini
    • 3
  • Giovanni Zuliani
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical SciencesUniversity of FerraraFerraraItaly
  2. 2.Department of Morphology, Surgery, and Medical SciencesUniversity of FerraraFerraraItaly
  3. 3.Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of FerraraFerraraItaly
  4. 4.Research Laboratory, Complex Structure of Geriatrics, Department of Medical SciencesFondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della SofferenzaSan Giovanni RotondoItaly
  5. 5.Plants for Human Health Institute, Animal Science DepartmentNC State UniversityKannapolisUSA
  6. 6.Department of Food and NutritionKyung Hee UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea

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