A study found no clear clinical associations for plasma TDP-43 in older adults
Original source
Plasma TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) levels in a population-based cohort of older adults: The cardiovascular health study. (opens in a new tab)Compass summarised this from the study's abstract.
Study details
- Studied in
- Human
Related topics
A population-based study measured plasma transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) in 1,058 older adults. TDP-43 levels were not associated with cognitive scores, Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, brain MRI volumes or dementia during follow-up.
Why this matters
The findings do not show that a blood TDP-43 measurement can identify dementia-related changes in this cohort. They also do not establish whether plasma TDP-43 is useful for diagnosing, monitoring or treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), because the study involved older adults in a population cohort rather than people with ALS.
Limitations and context
This was an observational study of 1,058 participants with a mean age of 75, including 261 people who developed dementia over a mean 5.5 years of follow-up. The results concern associations, not treatment effects, and the study did not establish clinical usefulness in ALS. Further research would be needed to determine whether plasma TDP-43 has value in ALS or other specific neurodegenerative diseases.