Zhang Xin, Fu Pan, Cai Yan
Department of Neurology, Taizhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang, China.
Front Neurol. 2025 Jul 15;16:1559219. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1559219. eCollection 2025.
Bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its levels have been reported to be associated with cognitive performance. However, few studies have examined the association between plasma BMP6 levels and brain atrophy in older adults.
A total of 340 older adults without dementia were included in the current study. Study participants had baseline plasma BMP6 data available and at least two structural MRI scans. Volumes of six brain regions were measured, including the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, ventricles, and whole brain. A series of linear mixed-effects models were built to examine the associations of plasma BMP6 levels with brain atrophy over time.
Our study revealed that higher plasma BMP6 levels were associated with a reduced rate of volume loss in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and whole brain. However, there was no significant link between plasma BMP6 levels and changes in the volume of the fusiform gyrus or ventricles.
Our results may provide novel insights into the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in AD, contributing to new avenues for timely intervention and potentially slowing disease progression.
骨形态发生蛋白6（BMP6）与阿尔茨海默病（AD）的发病机制有关，据报道其水平与认知表现相关。然而，很少有研究探讨老年人血浆BMP6水平与脑萎缩之间的关联。
本研究共纳入340名无痴呆的老年人。研究参与者有可用的基线血浆BMP6数据以及至少两次结构MRI扫描。测量了六个脑区的体积，包括海马体、内嗅皮质、颞中回、梭状回、脑室和全脑。建立了一系列线性混合效应模型，以研究血浆BMP6水平随时间与脑萎缩的关联。
我们的研究表明，较高的血浆BMP6水平与海马体、内嗅皮质、颞中回和全脑体积减少率降低有关。然而，血浆BMP6水平与梭状回或脑室体积变化之间没有显著联系。
我们的结果可能为AD神经退行性变机制提供新的见解，为及时干预和潜在减缓疾病进展开辟新途径。
