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Cerebrospinal fluid p-tau217 performs better than p-tau181 as a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease
Janelidze S, Stomrud E, Smith R, Palmqvist S, Mattsson N, Airey DC, Proctor NK, Chai X et al.. Nature communications, 2020-04-03
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) p-tau181 (tau phosphorylated at threonine 181) is an established biomarker of Alzheimer's disease (AD), reflecting abnormal tau metabolism in the brain. Here we investigate the performance of CSF p-tau217 as a biomarker of AD in comparison to p-tau181. In the Swedish BioFINDER cohort (n = 194), p-tau217 shows stronger correlations with the tau positron emission tomography (PET) tracer [ 18 F]flortaucipir, and more accurately identifies individuals with abnormally increased [ 18 F]flortaucipir retention. Furthermore, longitudinal increases in p-tau217 are higher compared to p-tau181 and better correlate with [ 18 F]flortaucipir uptake. P-tau217 correlates better than p-tau181 with CSF and PET measures of neocortical amyloid-β burden and more accurately distinguishes AD dementia from non-AD neurodegenerative disorders. Higher correlations between p-tau217 and [ 18 F]flortaucipir are corroborated in an independent EXPEDITION3 trial cohort (n = 32). The main results are validated using a different p-tau217 immunoassay. These findings suggest that p-tau217 might be more useful than p-tau181 in the diagnostic work up of AD.
Key findings
- Furthermore, longitudinal increases in p-tau217 are higher compared to p-tau181 and better correlate with [ 18 F]flortaucipir uptake.
- The main results are validated using a different p-tau217 immunoassay.
- These findings suggest that p-tau217 might be more useful than p-tau181 in the diagnostic work up of AD.
Why it matters
In 194 people from Sweden's BioFINDER study, the spinal-fluid marker p-tau217 tracked tau and amyloid brain scans more closely than the established marker p-tau181, rose more over time, and better separated Alzheimer's dementia from other neurodegenerative disorders. The tau-scan finding held in a second, independent group of 32 people, and the main results held with a different p-tau217 test kit. The authors conclude only that p-tau217 "might be more useful than p-tau181 in the diagnostic work up of AD"; the record gives no accuracy figures, and this is a lumbar-puncture test about detection, not a blood test or a treatment finding.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants194
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 75/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Nature communications) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Nature Communications: journal h-index 747 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| 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 | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 194 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 447 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 55.9 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 38.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 54 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 204 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 | 1 / 3 | Lund University: institution h-index 1,119 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32246036) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 75 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15436-0
- PubMed: 32246036
- Original source →
- Free full text: Nature Communications →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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.
APA 7th
Janelidze, S., Stomrud, E., Smith, R., Palmqvist, S., Mattsson, N., Airey, D. C., et al. (2020). Cerebrospinal fluid p-tau217 performs better than p-tau181 as a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease. Nature communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15436-0
Vancouver
Janelidze S, Stomrud E, Smith R, Palmqvist S, Mattsson N, Airey DC, et al. Cerebrospinal fluid p-tau217 performs better than p-tau181 as a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease. Nature communications. 2020. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15436-0. PMID: 32246036.
BibTeX
@article{janelidze2020-32246036,
author = {Janelidze, S. and Stomrud, E. and Smith, R. and Palmqvist, S. and Mattsson, N. and Airey, D. C. and Proctor, N. K. and Chai, X. and others},
title = {{Cerebrospinal fluid p-tau217 performs better than p-tau181 as a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Nature communications},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-15436-0},
pmid = {32246036},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15436-0}
}
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