Stem Cell Factor Plasma Levels are Decreased in Alzheimer's Disease Patients with Fast Cognitive Decline after One-Year Follow-Up Period: The Pythia-Study
Affiliations: [a] Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany | [b] Geriatric Center, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany | [c] Medizinische Klinik III, Kardiologie und Kreislauferkrankungen, Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany | [d] German Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders (DZNE), University of Tuebingen, Tüebingen, Germany
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Prof. Dr. Christoph Laske, M.D., Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, or Dr. Konstantinos Stellos, Medizinische Klinik II, University of Tuebingen, Osianderstraße 24, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany. Tel.: 07071 2982311; Fax: 07071 294141; E-mail: christoph.laske@med.uni-tuebingen.de or konstantinos.stellos@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of cognitive decline in the elderly and is characterized by massive neuronal loss in the brain. Stem cell factor (SCF) is a hematopoietic growth factor that promotes neuroprotective effects and supports neurogenesis in the brain. Decreased SCF plasma levels have been described in AD patients. Whether SCF plasma levels are also associated with the rate of cognitive decline in AD patients has not been reported so far. In the present study, we demonstrate that SCF plasma levels are significantly decreased in AD patients with fast cognitive decline (decrease of Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] score > 4 after one year; n = 12) compared to AD patients with slow cognitive decline (decrease of MMSE score ≤ 4 after one year; n = 28) (fast versus slow cognitive decline: mean ± SD: 1051.1 ± 178.7 versus 1237.9 ± 274.2 pg/ml; p = 0.037). Moreover, SCF plasma levels correlated with the rate of cognitive decline after one year follow-up period (r = 0.315; p = 0.048). In a multiple linear regression analysis, independent predictors of the rate of cognitive decline in our study cohort were age, MMSE scores at baseline, SCF plasma levels, as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor and activated glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa. These results suggest that lower SCF plasma levels are associated with a higher rate of cognitive decline in AD patients. Thus, treatment strategies increasing SCF plasma levels could be useful for delaying the progression of AD. Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate the value of plasma SCF in a multimarker approach determining AD prognosis.
