Validation of ELISA methods for quantification of total tau and phosporylated-tau181 in human cerebrospinal fluid with measurement in specimens from two Alzheimer's disease studies

J Alzheimers Dis. 2011;26(3):531-41. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2011-110296.

Abstract

Tau measurements in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are gaining acceptance as aids to diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and differentiation from other dementias. Two ELISA assays, the INNOTEST® hTAU Ag and the INNOTEST® PHOSPHO-TAU(181P) for quantification of t-tau and p-tau181 respectively, have been validated to regulatory standards. Validation parameters were determined by repeated testing of human CSF pools. Specimens from Phase 2 studies of the γ-secretase inhibitor semagacestat and the therapeutic antibody solanezumab at baseline and following 12-14 weeks of treatment were also tested. Estimated intra-assay CV for repeated testing of 3 CSF pools were ≤11.5% and RE varied between -14.1% and +6.4%. Inter-assay CV for t-tau was <5% and RE was within ±8%. For p-tau181, inter-assay CV was <9% and RE was within ±2.5%. Total CV (intra-assay plus inter-assay) were below 10% for both analytes. Up to 20-fold dilutional linearity was demonstrated for both analytes. Stability of t-tau and p-tau181 was demonstrated in CSF during five freeze-thaw cycles at ≤-20 °C and ≤-70 °C and at 18-22 °C for up to 24 h. Neither semagacestat nor solanezumab interfered with either assay. Inter-individual t-tau and p-tau181 concentrations were highly variable but intra-individual variations were small. These assays are suitable for analysis of CSF t-tau and p-tau181 in a single laboratory supporting multi-center AD clinical trials. No effect of treatment with semagacestat or solanezumab was observed in response to three months of drug administration.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alanine / analogs & derivatives
  • Alanine / therapeutic use
  • Alzheimer Disease / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / chemistry
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • Azepines / therapeutic use
  • Calibration
  • Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic / methods
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Humans
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protease Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Specimen Handling
  • tau Proteins / cerebrospinal fluid*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Azepines
  • N2-((2S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethanoyl)-N1-((7S)-5-methyl-6-oxo-6,7-dihydro-5H-dibenzo(b,d)azepin-7-yl)-L-alaninamide
  • Protease Inhibitors
  • tau Proteins
  • solanezumab
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Alanine