Home › Research › TREM2 and immune genetics
Cerebrospinal fluid soluble TREM2 levels in frontotemporal dementia differ by genetic and pathological subgroup
Woollacott IOC, Nicholas JM, Heslegrave A, Heller C, Foiani MS, Dick KM, Russell LL, Paterson RW et al.. Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2018-08-16
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background Reliable biomarkers of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are currently lacking. FTD may be associated with chronic immune dysfunction, microglial activation and raised inflammatory markers, particularly in progranulin (GRN) mutation carriers. Levels of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) are elevated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but they have not been fully explored in FTD.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Woollacott, I. O. C., Nicholas, J. M., Heslegrave, A., Heller, C., Foiani, M. S., Dick, K. M., et al. (2018). Cerebrospinal fluid soluble TREM2 levels in frontotemporal dementia differ by genetic and pathological subgroup. Alzheimer's research & therapy. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-018-0405-8
Vancouver
Woollacott IOC, Nicholas JM, Heslegrave A, Heller C, Foiani MS, Dick KM, et al. Cerebrospinal fluid soluble TREM2 levels in frontotemporal dementia differ by genetic and pathological subgroup. Alzheimer's research & therapy. 2018. doi:10.1186/s13195-018-0405-8. PMID: 30111356.
BibTeX
@article{woollacott2018-30111356,
author = {Woollacott, I. O. C. and Nicholas, J. M. and Heslegrave, A. and Heller, C. and Foiani, M. S. and Dick, K. M. and Russell, L. L. and Paterson, R. W. and others},
title = {{Cerebrospinal fluid soluble TREM2 levels in frontotemporal dementia differ by genetic and pathological subgroup}},
journal = {Alzheimer's research \& therapy},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1186/s13195-018-0405-8},
pmid = {30111356},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-018-0405-8}
}
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
- FTD may be associated with chronic immune dysfunction, microglial activation and raised inflammatory markers, particularly in progranulin (GRN) mutation carriers.
- Levels of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) are elevated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but they have not been fully explored in FTD.
- Methods We investigated whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sTREM2 levels differ between FTD and controls, across different clinical and genetic subtypes of FTD, or between individuals with FTD due to AD versus non-AD pathology (based on CSF neurodegenerative biomarkers).
- We also assessed relationships between CSF sTREM2 and other CSF biomarkers (total tau [T-tau], tau phosphorylated at position threonine-181 [P-tau] and β-amyloid 1-42 [Aβ42]) and age and disease duration.
Why it matters
This study investigated whether cerebrospinal fluid sTREM2 levels differ between frontotemporal dementia and controls and across clinical and genetic subtypes. It is about frontotemporal dementia, so it does not provide evidence about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants20
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 57/100
Published in a peer-reviewed 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 | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer's research & therapy) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s Research & Therapy: journal h-index 146 (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 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 20 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 63 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.3 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 9 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 14 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Jonathan Daniel Rohrer: h-index 91 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30111356) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 57 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13195-018-0405-8
- PubMed: 30111356
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s Research & Therapy →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 31.
Later studies that cite this one
9 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in TREM2 and immune genetics
Also tagged “macrophages”
363 studies in the library carry the topic tag “macrophages”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 363 tagged studies.