Background: Novel biomarkers are important for identifying as well as differentiating subcortical vascular dementia (SVD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) at an early stage in the disease process.
Methods: In two independent cohorts, a multiplex immunoassay was utilized to analyze 90 proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from dementia patients and patients at risk of developing dementia (mild cognitive impairment).
Results: The levels of several CSF proteins were increased in SVD and its incipient state, and in moderate-to-severe AD compared with the control group. In contrast, some CSF proteins were altered in AD, but not in SVD. The levels of heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) were consistently increased in all groups with dementia but only in some of their incipient states.
Conclusions: In summary, these results support the notion that SVD and AD are driven by different pathophysiological mechanisms reflected in the CSF protein profile and that H-FABP in CSF is a general marker of neurodegeneration.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Biomarkers; Cerebrospinal fluid; Mild cognitive impairment; Vascular dementia.