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. 2019 Apr;10(1):22-25.

Levels of α-2 Macroglobulin in cognitively normal Mexican- Americans with Subjective Cognitive Decline: A HABLE Study

James R Hall  1   2 , April R Wiechmann  3 , Leigh A Johnson  1   2 , Melissa L Edwards  4 , Sid E O'Bryant  1   2
Affiliations

Levels of α-2 Macroglobulin in cognitively normal Mexican- Americans with Subjective Cognitive Decline: A HABLE Study

James R Hall et al. Curr Neurobiol. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Background: The presence of Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) in the absence of objective change and the inflammatory biomarker Alpha 2 Macroglobulin (A2M) have both been implicated in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Mexican Americans are population with high rates of cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders.

Objectives: The current study investigated the levels of A2M in cognitively normal Mexican Americans with and without complaints of cognitive decline.

Method: 293 (243 females, 50 males) community-based cognitively normal older Mexican Americans from the ongoing Health and Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study were grouped based on subjective cognitive decline and blood samples were assayed by electrochemiluminescence to determine levels of A2M.

Results: Participants with SCD had significantly higher levels of A2M than those without SCD. Females with SCD had a significantly higher level of A2M.

Conclusions: Results suggest that higher levels of A2M, a marker of neuronal injury, may be involved in subtle changes in cognitive functioning recognizable to persons reporting SCD but too subtle to be objectively measured. Longitudinal research is needed to assess the impact of SDC and A2M in progression to MCI and dementia in Mexican Americans.

Keywords: Alpha 2 Macroglobulin; Mexican Americans; Subjective Cognitive Decline.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure Statement SEO has patents and patents pending regarding blood-biomarkers for precision medicine in neurodegenerative diseases and serves on an Advisory Board to Roche Diagnostics. No other authors have conflicts of interest to disclose.

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