Swann Owen James, Turner Michael, Heslegrave Amanda, Zetterberg Henrik
UK Dementia Research Institute Fluid Biomarker Laboratory, University College London, London, UK.
International Concussion and Head Injury Research Foundation, London, UK.
BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2022 Sep 1;8(3):e001327. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001327. eCollection 2022.
To investigate the association and utility of blood plasma markers of neurodegeneration in a population of retired athletes self-reporting multiple concussions throughout a sporting career. It is hypothesised that this type of athletic history would cause an increased prevalence of neurodegenerative disease, as detected by biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease processes.
One hundred and fifty-nine participants were recruited (90 males, 69 females, mean age 61.3±9.13 years), including 121 participants who had retired from playing professional or semiprofessional sports and self-reported ≥1 concussion during their careers (range 1-74; mean concussions=10.7). The control group included 38 age-matched and sex-matched controls, with no history of concussion. We measured neurofilament light (NfL) and tau (neurodegeneration markers), glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP) (astrocytic activation marker) and 40 and 42 amino acid-long amyloid beta (Aβ40 and Aβ42) (Alzheimer-associated amyloid pathology markers) concentrations using ultrasensitive single molecule array technology.
We found retired athletes reporting one or more concussions throughout an athletic career showed no significant changes in NfL, tau, GFAP and Aβ40 and Aβ42 concentrations in comparison to a control group. No correlations were found between biomarkers and number of concussions (mean=10.7). A moderate correlation was found between NfL concentration and age.
No difference in blood concentrations of neurodegeneration markers NfL, tau, GFAP and Aβ40 and Aβ42 was found in retired athletes with a history of concussion compared with controls. An increased prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is not detected by biomarkers in a population self-reporting multiple concussions.
ISRCTN 11312093.
在一群在整个运动生涯中自我报告有多次脑震荡的退休运动员中，研究神经退行性变的血浆标志物的关联性和效用。据推测，这种运动史会导致神经退行性疾病的患病率增加，这可通过神经退行性疾病过程的生物标志物检测出来。
招募了159名参与者（90名男性，69名女性，平均年龄61.3±9.13岁），其中包括121名从职业或半职业运动项目退役且在其职业生涯中自我报告有≥1次脑震荡的参与者（范围为1 - 74次；平均脑震荡次数 = 10.7次）。对照组包括38名年龄和性别匹配的对照者，他们没有脑震荡史。我们使用超灵敏单分子阵列技术测量了神经丝轻链（NfL）和tau（神经退行性变标志物）、胶质纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）（星形细胞激活标志物）以及40个和42个氨基酸长度的淀粉样β蛋白（Aβ40和Aβ42）（阿尔茨海默病相关淀粉样病理标志物）的浓度。
我们发现，在整个运动生涯中报告有一次或多次脑震荡的退休运动员与对照组相比，NfL、tau、GFAP以及Aβ40和Aβ42的浓度没有显著变化。在生物标志物与脑震荡次数（平均 = 10.7次）之间未发现相关性。在NfL浓度与年龄之间发现了中度相关性。
与对照组相比，有脑震荡史的退休运动员在神经退行性变标志物NfL、tau、GFAP以及Aβ40和Aβ42的血液浓度方面没有差异。在自我报告有多次脑震荡的人群中，生物标志物未检测到神经退行性疾病的患病率增加。
ISRCTN 11312093。
