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. 2022 Feb;18(2):240-250.
doi: 10.1002/alz.12404. Epub 2021 Jul 26.

Characterizing plasma NfL in a community-dwelling multi-ethnic cohort: Results from the HABLE study

Sid O'Bryant  1 , Melissa Petersen  1   2 , James Hall  1   3 , Leigh Johnson  1   3 , Kristine Yaffe  4   5 , Meredith Braskie  6 , Arthur W Toga  7 , Robert A Rissman  8   9 ; HABLE study team
Affiliations

Characterizing plasma NfL in a community-dwelling multi-ethnic cohort: Results from the HABLE study

Sid O'Bryant et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Introduction: No large-scale characterizations of neurofilament light chain (NfL) have been conducted in diverse populations.

Methods: Baseline data were analyzed among n = 890 Mexican Americans and n = 813 non-Hispanic Whites from the multi-ethnic Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study. Plasma NfL was measured on the Simoa platform.

Results: In unadjusted models, NfL was significantly associated with age (P < .001), hypertension (P < .001), dyslipidemia (P = .02), and diabetes (P < .001). Covarying for age and sex, NfL was associated with neurodegeneration (P < .001) and global amyloid burden levels (P = .02) in a subset with available data. NfL levels were significantly associated with diagnostic groups (Normal Cognition [NC], mild cognitive impairment [MCI], Dementia; P < .001); however, there was no cut-score that yielded acceptable diagnostic accuracy. NfL levels produced a sensitivity of 0.60 and specificity of 0.78 with negative predictive value of 89% for detecting amyloid positivity.

Discussion: Plasma NfL levels are significantly impacted by age and medical co-morbidities that are common among older adults, which complicate its utility as a diagnostic biomarker.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Hispanic; Mexican American; diversity; plasma NfL.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
F 1 NfLl levels by medical co‐morbidity index level split by ethnicity
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
NfL levels by cognitive diagnosis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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