Translational Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

Differential Appearance of Serum Aβ43 and Aβ42 in the Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Kun Zou, Shuyu Liu, Junjun Liu, Chiaki Tanabe, Tomoji Maeda, Yasuo Terayama, Satoshi Takahashi and Hiroto Komano

A longer amyloid-β protein (Aβ), Aβ43, deposits in amyloid plaques more frequently than Aβ40 in both sporadic and familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains, which shares a similar feature of Aβ42 [1,2]. A recent study reported that Aβ43 is more amyloidogenic and neurotoxic than Aβ42 in vitro and is abundant in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease [3]. These studies indicate that Aβ43 could be another key molecule for AD etiology other than Aβ42. Reduced Aβ42 levels and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were related with cognitive decline and AD [4,5]. However, Aβ43 levels in biological fluid and their relationship with Aβ42 and Aβ40 in living patients with AD remain unclear. Here we examined Aβ43, Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels in the serum of patients with AD and normal controls, and we found differential appearance of serum Aβ43 and Aβ42 in AD patients.