Neurológia pre prax 5/2009

Practical experience with laboratory diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using tau protein, phospho-tau protein, and beta amyloid in cerebrospinal fluid

The aim of the paper is to acquaint neurologists, psychiatrists, geriatricians, and other specialists with the options of and practical experience with the laboratory assessment of tau protein, phospho-tau protein, and beta-amyloid in the cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer's disease in particular. The rationale for the use of the three cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers is briefly summarized, the principle and the methodology of the cerebrospinal fluid test are explained in detail, including an evaluation of an own group of patients, and requirements for a proper sample collection technique are emphasized. When evaluating the three cerebrospinal fluid AD biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease, the sensitivity and specificity increase to 85–94 % and 83–100 %, respectively. Thus, patients with minimal cognitive deficit who are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease can be expected to benefit greatly from an evaluation of AD biomarkers.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, tau protein, phospho-tau protein, beta-amyloid, cerebrospinal fluid.