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Combination of Aβ40, Aβ42, and Tau Plasma Levels to Distinguish Amyloid-PET Positive Alzheimer Patients from Normal Controls
Seungyeop Baek, Jinny Claire Lee, Byung Hyun Byun, Su Yeon Park, Jeong Ho Ha, Kyo Chul Lee, Seung‐Hoon Yang, Jun‐Seok Lee et al.. Experimental Neurobiology, 2025-02-28
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Alzheimer disease (AD) diagnosis is confirmed using a medley of modalities, such as the detection of amyloid-β (Aβ) neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles with positron electron tomography (PET) or the appraisal of irregularities in cognitive function with examinations. Although these methods have been efficient in confirming AD pathology, the rising demand for earlier intervention during pathogenesis has led researchers to explore the diagnostic potential of fluid biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma. Since CSF sample collection is invasive and limited in quantity, biomarker detection in plasma has become more attractive and modern advancements in technology has permitted more efficient and accurate analysis of plasma biomolecules. In this study, we found that a composite of standard factors, Aβ40 and total tau levels in plasma, divided by the variation factor, plasma Aβ42 level, provide better correlation with amyloid neuroimaging and neuropsychological test results than a level comparison between total tau and Aβ42 in plasma. We collected EDTA-treated blood plasma samples of 53 subjects, of randomly selected 27 AD patients and 26 normal cognition (NC) individuals, who received amyloid-PET scans for plaque quantification, and measured plasma levels of Aβ40, Aβ42, and total tau with digital enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in a blinded manner. There was difficulty distinguishing AD patients from controls when analyzing biomarkers independently. However, significant differentiation was observed between the two groups when comparing individual ratios of total-tau×Aβ40/Aβ42. Our results indicate that collectively comparing fluctuations of these fluid biomarkers could aid in monitoring AD pathogenesis.
Key findings
- In this study, we found that a composite of standard factors, Aβ40 and total tau levels in plasma, divided by the variation factor, plasma Aβ42 level, provide better correlation with amyloid neuroimaging and neuropsychological test results than a level comparison between total tau and Aβ42 in plasma.
- However, significant differentiation was observed between the two groups when comparing individual ratios of total-tau×Aβ40/Aβ42.
- Our results indicate that collectively comparing fluctuations of these fluid biomarkers could aid in monitoring AD pathogenesis.
Why it matters
A composite of plasma Aβ40, total tau and Aβ42 correlated better with amyloid imaging and cognitive tests than a simpler tau-to-Aβ42 comparison in a small sample of 53 subjects. This is an early diagnostic finding and does not test any treatment.
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Study details
- Participants53
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 37 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 39 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Experimental Neurobiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Experimental Neurobiology: journal h-index 60 (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 | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 53 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 | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Hye Yun Kim holds only 5 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Wisconsin–Madison: institution h-index 1,518 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40091634) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 37 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 37 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 39 out of 100. |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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
Baek, S., Lee, J. C., Byun, B. H., Park, S. Y., Ha, J. H., Lee, K. C., et al. (2025). Combination of Aβ40, Aβ42, and Tau Plasma Levels to Distinguish Amyloid-PET Positive Alzheimer Patients from Normal Controls. Experimental Neurobiology. https://doi.org/10.5607/en25008
Vancouver
Baek S, Lee JC, Byun BH, Park SY, Ha JH, Lee KC, et al. Combination of Aβ40, Aβ42, and Tau Plasma Levels to Distinguish Amyloid-PET Positive Alzheimer Patients from Normal Controls. Experimental Neurobiology. 2025. doi:10.5607/en25008. PMID: 40091634.
BibTeX
@article{baek2025-40091634,
author = {Baek, Seungyeop and Lee, Jinny Claire and Byun, Byung Hyun and Park, Su Yeon and Ha, Jeong Ho and Lee, Kyo Chul and Yang, Seung‐Hoon and Lee, Jun‐Seok and others},
title = {{Combination of Aβ40, Aβ42, and Tau Plasma Levels to Distinguish Amyloid-PET Positive Alzheimer Patients from Normal Controls}},
journal = {Experimental Neurobiology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.5607/en25008},
pmid = {40091634},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5607/en25008}
}
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