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Associations of CSF PDGFRβ With Aging, Blood-Brain Barrier Damage, Neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer Disease Pathologic Changes
Cicognola C, Mattsson-Carlgren N, van Westen D, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Palmqvist S, Ahmadi K, Strandberg O et al.. Neurology, 2023-05-03
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
Background and objectives Injured pericytes in the neurovascular unit release platelet-derived growth factor β (PDGFRβ) into the CSF. However, it is not clear how pericyte injury contributes to Alzheimer disease (AD)-related changes and blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. We aimed to test whether CSF PDGFRβ was associated with different AD-associated and age-associated pathologic changes leading to dementia. Methods PDGFRβ was measured in the CSF of 771 participants with cognitively unimpaired (CU, n = 408), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 175), and dementia (n = 188) from the Swedish BioFINDER-2 cohort. We then checked association with β-amyloid (Aβ)-PET and tau-PET standardized uptake value ratio, APOE ε4 genotype and MRI measurements of cortical thickness, white matter lesions (WMLs), and cerebral blood flow. We also analyzed the role of CSF PDGFRβ in the relationship between aging, BBB dysfunction (measured by CSF/plasma albumin ratio, QAlb), and neuroinflammation (i.e., CSF levels of YKL-40 and glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], preferentially expressed in reactive astrocytes). Results The cohort had a mean age of 67 years (CU = 62.8, MCI = 69.9, dementia = 70.4), and 50.1% were male (CU = 46.6%, MCI = 53.7%, dementia = 54.3%). Higher CSF PDGFRβ concentrations were related to higher age ( b = 19.1, β = 0.5, 95% CI 16-22.2, p b = 3.4, β = 0.5, 95% CI 2.8-3.9, p b = 27.4, β = 0.4, 95% CI 20.9-33.9, p b = 37.4, β = 0.2, 95% CI 24.9-49.9, p APOE ε4 genotype, PET imaging of Aβ and tau pathology, or MRI measures of brain atrophy and WMLs ( p > 0.05). Discussion In summary, pericyte damage, reflected by CSF PDGFRβ, may be involved in age-related BBB disruption together with neuroinflammation, but is not related to Alzheimer-related pathologic changes.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Moderate
The record lists 408 participants. In 771 participants, higher cerebrospinal fluid PDGFRβ was related to higher age and was studied in relation to blood-brain barrier damage, neuroinflammation and Alzheimer pathologic changes. Reported effect size: 50.1%; 46.6%; 53.7%.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cicognola, C., Mattsson-Carlgren, N., van Westen, D., Zetterberg, H., Blennow, K., Palmqvist, S., et al. (2023). Associations of CSF PDGFRβ With Aging, Blood-Brain Barrier Damage, Neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer Disease Pathologic Changes. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000207358
Vancouver
Cicognola C, Mattsson-Carlgren N, van Westen D, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Palmqvist S, et al. Associations of CSF PDGFRβ With Aging, Blood-Brain Barrier Damage, Neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer Disease Pathologic Changes. Neurology. 2023. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000207358. PMID: 37137722.
BibTeX
@article{cicognola2023-37137722,
author = {Cicognola, C. and Mattsson-Carlgren, N. and van Westen, D. and Zetterberg, H. and Blennow, K. and Palmqvist, S. and Ahmadi, K. and Strandberg, O. and others},
title = {{Associations of CSF PDGFRβ With Aging, Blood-Brain Barrier Damage, Neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer Disease Pathologic Changes}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000207358},
pmid = {37137722},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000207358}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- We aimed to test whether CSF PDGFRβ was associated with different AD-associated and age-associated pathologic changes leading to dementia.
- Results The cohort had a mean age of 67 years (CU = 62.8, MCI = 69.9, dementia = 70.4), and 50.1% were male (CU = 46.6%, MCI = 53.7%, dementia = 54.3%).
Why it matters
In 771 participants, higher cerebrospinal fluid PDGFRβ was related to higher age and was studied in relation to blood-brain barrier damage, neuroinflammation and Alzheimer pathologic changes. This is an observational biomarker study and does not report a treatment, cure or prevention.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Participants408
- Effect size50.1%; 46.6%; 53.7%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 408 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 50 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.0 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 48 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Oskar Hansson: h-index 148 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37137722) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207358
- PubMed: 37137722
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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