Blood Test Predicts Alzheimer's with Exceptional Accuracy

The latest blood test for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is extremely accurate at identifying the disease and can perhaps detect it even before symptoms such as memory loss develop.

Human protein microarrays were used to characterize the differential expression of serum autoantibodies in AD and nondemented control (NDC) groups, to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers for AD.

Scientists from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, (Stratford, NJ, USA), collected serum samples from 50 AD subjects, 40 NDC controls (NDC), 30 breast cancer (BC) patients, and 29 from individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Autoantibodies in human sera were identified using ProtoArray Human Protein Microarrays (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) each containing 9,486 unique human protein antigens.

Overall, the tests identified 96% of those with Alzheimer's correctly. It correctly identified 92.5% of those who did not have Alzheimer's. The team was able to make an inventory of 10 antibody biomarkers needed to detect Alzheimer's disease. The relative noninvasiveness, low cost, and dynamism of protein microarrays make a diagnostic of this kind well-suited for incorporation into routine health care. The team's hope is that with a diagnostic such as this, accessible early screening methods can be established so that patients will be better positioned to avail themselves of effective therapies as they arise.

Robert Nagele, PhD, who developed the test, said, "This is a simple test that has high accuracy and can be run from a single drop of blood. Brain cells die and when they die, they pop; they explode, like a water balloon breaking. Your body makes antibodies against the cell debris. We believe that happens so it can facilitate the cleanup of the cell debris. Many of these are related to the presence of the disease.” The study was published on August 3, 2011, in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.

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