Evaluation of core Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease in saliva and plasma measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassays on a fully automated platform

Abstract Background. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) core biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including amyloid peptide beta-42 (Aβ42), Aβ42/40 ratio, and phosphorylated tau (pTau), are precious tools for diagnosing AD. However, their use in clinical practice is limited due to the invasiveness of CSF collection. Thus, there is intensive research to find alternative, noninvasive, and widely accessible biological matrices to measure AD core biomarkers. In this study, we measured AD core biomarkers in saliva and plasma by a fully automated platform. Methods. We enrolled all consecutive patients with cognitive decline. For each patient, we measured Aβ42, Aβ40, and pTau levels in CSF, saliva, and plasma by Lumipulse G1200 (Fujirebio). Results. We included forty-two patients, of whom 27 had AD. Levels of all biomarkers significantly differed in the three biofluids, with saliva having the lowest and CSF the highest levels of Aβ42, Aβ40, and pTau. A positive correlation of pTau and Aβ42/40 ratio levels in CSF and plasma was detected, while no correlation between any biomarker in CSF and saliva was found. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that plasma but not saliva could represent a surrogate biofluid for measuring core AD biomarkers. Specifically, plasma Aβ42/40 ratio and pTau could serve as surrogates of the corresponding CSF biomarkers.