Background: An elevated neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in blood has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, an elevated NLR has also been implicated in many other conditions that are risk factors for AD, prompting investigation into whether the NLR is directly linked with AD pathology or a result of underlying comorbidities. Herein, we explored the relationship between the NLR and AD biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of cognitively unimpaired (CU) subjects. Adjusting for sociodemographics, APOE4, and common comorbidities, we investigated these associations in two cohorts: the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and the M.J. de Leon CSF repository at NYU. Specifically, we examined associations between the NLR and cross-sectional measures of amyloid-β42 (Aβ42), total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau), as well as the trajectories of these CSF measures obtained longitudinally.

Results: A total of 111 ADNI and 190 NYU participants classified as CU with available NLR, CSF, and covariate data were included. Compared to NYU, ADNI participants were older (73.79 vs. 61.53, p < 0.001), had a higher proportion of males (49.5% vs. 36.8%, p = 0.042), higher BMIs (27.94 vs. 25.79, p < 0.001), higher prevalence of hypertensive history (47.7% vs. 16.3%, p < 0.001), and a greater percentage of Aβ-positivity (34.2% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.009). In the ADNI cohort, we found cross-sectional associations between the NLR and CSF Aβ42 (β = -12.193, p = 0.021), but not t-tau or p-tau. In the NYU cohort, we found cross-sectional associations between the NLR and CSF t-tau (β = 26.812, p = 0.019) and p-tau (β = 3.441, p = 0.015), but not Aβ42. In the NYU cohort alone, subjects classified as Aβ + (n = 38) displayed a stronger association between the NLR and t-tau (β = 100.476, p = 0.037) compared to Aβ- subjects or the non-stratified cohort. In both cohorts, the same associations observed in the cross-sectional analyses were observed after incorporating longitudinal CSF data.

Conclusions: We report associations between the NLR and Aβ42 in the older ADNI cohort, and between the NLR and t-tau and p-tau in the younger NYU cohort. Associations persisted after adjusting for comorbidities, suggesting a direct link between the NLR and AD. However, changes in associations between the NLR and specific AD biomarkers may occur as part of immunosenescence.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11100119PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12979-024-00435-2DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

alzheimer's disease
12
cognitively unimpaired
8
nlr
6
neutrophil lymphocyte
4
lymphocyte ratio
4
ratio associates
4
associates markers
4
markers alzheimer's
4
disease pathology
4
pathology cognitively
4

Similar Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, and the development of early screening methods can address its significant health and social consequences. In this paper, we present a rotary-valve assisted paper-based immunoassay device (RAPID) for early screening of AD, featuring a highly integrated on-chip rotary micro-valve that enables fully automated and efficient detection of the AD biomarker (amyloid beta 42, Aβ42) in artificial plasma. The microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) of the RAPID pre-stores the required assay reagents on a μPAD and automatically controls the liquid flow through a single valve.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The origins of resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) signal fluctuations remain debated. Recent evidence shows coupling between global cortical rsfMRI signals and cerebrospinal fluid inflow in the fourth ventricle, increasing during sleep and decreasing with Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression, potentially reflecting brain clearance mechanisms. However, the existence of more complex brain-ventricle coupling modes and their relationship to cognitive decline remains unexplored.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neurons located in the layer II of the entorhinal cortex (ECII) are the primary site of pathological tau accumulation and neurodegeneration at preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Exploring the alterations that underlie the early degeneration of these cells is essential to develop therapies that delay disease onset. Here we performed cell-type specific profiling of the EC at the onset of human AD neuropathology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Microglia modulate their cell state in response to various stimuli. Changes to cellular lipids often accompany shifts in microglial cell state, but the functional significance of these metabolic changes remains poorly understood. In human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia, we observed that both extrinsic activation (by lipopolysaccharide treatment) and intrinsic triggers (the Alzheimer's disease-associated genotype) result in accumulation of triglyceride-rich lipid droplets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The biological mechanisms underlying women's increased Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevalence remain undefined. Previous case/control studies have identified sex-biased molecular pathways, but sex-specific relationships between gene expression and AD endophenotypes, particularly sex chromosomes, are underexplored. With bulk transcriptomic data across 3 brain regions from 767 decedents, we investigated sex-specific associations between gene expression and post-mortem β-amyloid and tau as well as antemortem longitudinal cognition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!