Wang Jia Dong James, Leow Yi Jin, Vipin Ashwati, Sandhu Gurveen Kaur, Kandiah Nagaendran
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308232, Singapore.
Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Apr 9;26(8):3541. doi: 10.3390/ijms26083541.
Perivascular spaces (PVS) support metabolic clearance in the brain and are increasingly recognized as key contributors to dementia pathogenesis. Plasma-based biomarkers, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the amyloid β42/40 (Aβ42/40) ratio, show promise in dementia diagnosis but remain understudied in vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). VCI, a major global cause of cognitive decline, may be more prevalent in Southeast Asia. Despite its impact, it is underdiagnosed compared to Alzheimer's, highlighting the need for early, reliable markers. This study aims to examine how these biomarkers relate to PVS burden and domain-specific cognitive outcomes in VCI. VCI was defined as global cognition as assessed by a Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score <26, along with the presence of confluent white matter hyperintensities (deep white matter hyperintensities score >2 or periventricular hyperintensities >3), and >1 lacuna. A total of 108 participants (mean age of 67.3 years, 51.9% female) were included. Multivariate ordinal regression assessed biomarker associations with PVS grade, adjusting for age and diastolic blood pressure. A Aβ42/40 ratio <0.05 and GFAP >54.1 pg/mL were used as biomarker thresholds to subgroup the participants, and the relationship between these thresholds and cognitive performance was analyzed. Elevated GFAP ( = 0.0438) and a reduced Aβ42/40 ratio ( < 0.01) were correlated with a higher PVS grade. In the subgroup with a low Aβ42/40 ratio, a greater PVS burden was associated with poorer executive function ( = 0.045, β = 0.612), while in those with high GFAP levels, it was linked to more pronounced impairments in learning and memory ( = 0.006, β = 0.375). A lower Aβ42/40 ratio and higher GFAP levels track greater PVS burden in VCI. PVS severity may be associated with domain-specific cognitive decline, highlighting the potential utility of these biomarkers in refining clinical assessments and monitoring disease progression.
血管周围间隙(PVS)支持大脑中的代谢清除,并且越来越被认为是痴呆症发病机制的关键因素。基于血浆的生物标志物,如胶质纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)和淀粉样β42/40(Aβ42/40)比值,在痴呆症诊断中显示出前景,但在血管性认知障碍(VCI)方面仍研究不足。VCI是全球认知衰退的主要原因,在东南亚可能更为普遍。尽管其有影响,但与阿尔茨海默病相比,它的诊断率较低,这突出了对早期、可靠标志物的需求。本研究旨在探讨这些生物标志物与VCI中PVS负担及特定领域认知结果之间的关系。VCI的定义为:蒙特利尔认知评估得分<26所评估的整体认知,同时存在融合性白质高信号(深部白质高信号得分>2或脑室周围高信号>3),以及>1个腔隙。总共纳入了108名参与者(平均年龄67.3岁,51.9%为女性)。多变量有序回归评估生物标志物与PVS分级的关联,并对年龄和舒张压进行了校正。使用Aβ42/40比值<0.05和GFAP>54.1 pg/mL作为生物标志物阈值对参与者进行亚组划分,并分析这些阈值与认知表现之间的关系。GFAP升高(P = 0.0438)和Aβ42/40比值降低(P < 0.01)与更高的PVS分级相关。在Aβ42/40比值较低的亚组中,更大的PVS负担与更差的执行功能相关(P = 0.045,β = 0.612),而在GFAP水平较高的亚组中,它与学习和记忆方面更明显的损害相关(P = 0.006,β = 0.375)。较低的Aβ42/40比值和较高的GFAP水平与VCI中更大的PVS负担相关。PVS严重程度可能与特定领域的认知衰退相关,这突出了这些生物标志物在完善临床评估和监测疾病进展方面的潜在效用。
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