Alzheimer's protein patterns vary across populations, biomarker study finds
Blood biomarkers may make it possible to detect changes seen in Alzheimer's disease without advanced brain imaging or cerebrospinal fluid tests. At the same time, much of the research behind today's biomarkers has been conducted in high-income countries and among people of European ancestry. Previous studies in African populations have mainly examined a smaller number of already established…
A recent biomarker study has revealed that Alzheimer's disease protein patterns can vary across different populations, according to a new report in Nature Communications. As Alzheimer's biomarkers have primarily been researched in high-income countries with European ancestry, researchers led by Andrea Benedet from the University of Gothenburg aimed to understand how well these markers work in diverse populations.
The investigation analyzed blood samples from 949 individuals aged 50 and older in Nigeria and compared the findings with data from a similar study in Tanzania. While several established tau biomarkers showed similar patterns among people with and without amyloid pathology in both African and North American groups, broader protein profiles exhibited differences between Nigerian and Tanzanian groups compared to African and Canadian groups.
The study also discovered associations between specific protein levels and conditions such as heart disease, infectious disease history, and high cholesterol. However, the researchers had to infer amyloid status using p-tau217 thresholds validated in non-Hispanic white populations, which may not be optimal for African populations. This highlights the need to consider comorbidities when interpreting biomarkers and developing reference values for different regions worldwide.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
