Connecting dementia risk loci to the CSF proteome identifies pathophysiological leads for dementia

Lianne M. Reus, Iris E. Jansen, Betty M. Tijms, Alzheimer's Dis Neuroimaging Initiat, Pieter Jelle Visser, Niccolo Tesi, Sven J. van der Lee, Lisa Vermunt, Carel F. W. Peeters, Lisa A. De Groot, Yanaika S. Hok-A-Hin, Alice Chen-Plotkin, David J. Irwin, William T. Hu, Lieke H. Meeter, John C. van Swieten, Henne Holstege, Marc Hulsman, Afina W. Lemstra, Yolande A. L. PijnenburgWiesje M. van der Flier, Charlotte E. Teunissen, Marta del Campo Milan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified many genetic risk loci for dementia, but exact biological mechanisms through which genetic risk factors contribute to dementia remains unclear. Integrating CSF proteomic data with dementia risk loci could reveal intermediate molecular pathways connecting genetic variance to the development of dementia. We tested to what extent effects of known dementia risk loci can be observed in CSF levels of 665 proteins [proximity extension-based (PEA) immunoassays] in a deeply-phenotyped mixed memory clinic cohort [n = 502, mean age (standard deviation, SD) = 64.1 (8.7) years, 181 female (35.4%)], including patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 213), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, n = 50) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD, n = 93), and controls (n = 146). Validation was assessed in independent cohorts (n = 99 PEA platform, n = 198, mass reaction monitoring-targeted mass spectroscopy and multiplex assay). We performed additional analyses stratified according to diagnostic status (AD, DLB, FTD and controls separately), to explore whether associations between CSF proteins and genetic variants were specific to disease or not. We identified four AD risk loci as protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL): CR1-CR2 (rs3818361, P = 1.65 × 10-8), ZCWPW1-PILRB (rs1476679, P = 2.73 × 10-32), CTSH-CTSH (rs3784539, P = 2.88 × 10-24) and HESX1-RETN (rs186108507, P = 8.39 × 10-8), of which the first three pQTLs showed direct replication in the independent cohorts. We identified one AD-specific association between a rare genetic variant of TREM2 and CSF IL6 levels (rs75932628, P = 3.90 × 10-7). DLB risk locus GBA showed positive trans effects on seven inter-related CSF levels in DLB patients only. No pQTLs were identified for FTD loci, either for the total sample as for analyses performed within FTD only. Protein QTL variants were involved in the immune system, highlighting the importance of this system in the pathophysiology of dementia. We further identified pQTLs in stratified analyses for AD and DLB, hinting at disease-specific pQTLs in dementia. Dissecting the contribution of risk loci to neurobiological processes aids in understanding disease mechanisms underlying dementia.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberawae090
Pages (from-to)3522-3533
Number of pages12
JournalBrain
Volume147
Issue number10
Early online date25 Mar 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Connecting dementia risk loci to the CSF proteome identifies pathophysiological leads for dementia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this