Comparative analyses of plasma amyloid-β levels in heterogeneous and monomerized states by interdigitated microelectrode sensor system

Sci Adv. 2019 Apr 17;5(4):eaav1388. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aav1388. eCollection 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Detection of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates contributes to the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD). Plasma Aβ is deemed a less invasive and more accessible hallmark of AD, as Aβ can penetrate blood-brain barriers. However, correlations between biofluidic Aβ concentrations and AD progression has been tenuous. Here, we introduce a diagnostic technique that compares the heterogeneous and the monomerized states of Aβ in plasma. We used a small molecule, EPPS [4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinepropanesulfonic acid], to dissociate aggregated Aβ into monomers to enhance quantification accuracy. Subsequently, Aβ levels of EPPS-treated plasma were compared to those of untreated samples to minimize inter- and intraindividual variations. The interdigitated microelectrode sensor system was used to measure plasma Aβ levels on a scale of 0.1 pg/ml. The implementation of this self-standard blood test resulted in substantial distinctions between patients with AD and individuals with normal cognition (NC), with selectivity and sensitivity over 90%.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / blood
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / blood*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / instrumentation
  • Immunoassay / methods
  • Lab-On-A-Chip Devices
  • Limit of Detection
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microelectrodes
  • Middle Aged
  • Piperazines / chemistry
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / chemistry

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • N(2-hydroxythyl)piperazine-N'-(3-propanesulfonic acid)
  • Piperazines
  • Radiopharmaceuticals