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Diagnostic value of plasma p-tau181, NfL, and GFAP in a clinical setting cohort of prevalent neurodegenerative dementias
Baiardi S, Quadalti C, Mammana A, Dellavalle S, Zenesini C, Sambati L, Pantieri R, Polischi B et al.. Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2022-10-12
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background Increasing evidence supports the use of plasma biomarkers of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation to screen and diagnose patients with dementia. However, confirmatory studies are required to demonstrate their usefulness in the clinical setting. Methods We evaluated plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from consecutive patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (n = 59), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) (n = 31), corticobasal syndrome (CBS) (n = 29), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) (n = 49), Alzheimer disease (AD) (n = 97), and suspected non-AD physiopathology (n = 51), as well as plasma samples from 60 healthy controls (HC). We measured neurofilament light chain (NfL), phospho-tau181 (p-tau181), and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) using Simoa (all plasma biomarkers and CSF GFAP), CLEIA (CSF p-tau181), and ELISA (CSF NfL) assays. Additionally, we stratified patients according to the A/T/N classification scheme and the CSF α-synuclein real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) results. Results We found good correlations between CSF and plasma biomarkers for NfL (rho = 0.668, p Conclusions In a single-center clinical cohort, we confirm the high diagnostic value of plasma p-tau181 for distinguishing FTD from AD and plasma NfL for discriminating degenerative dementias from HC. Plasma GFAP alone differentiates AD from FTD and neurodegenerative dementias from HC but with lower accuracy than p-tau181 and NfL. In CBS and DLB, plasma p-tau181 and GFAP levels are significantly influenced by beta-amyloid pathology.
Key findings
- Additionally, we stratified patients according to the A/T/N classification scheme and the CSF α-synuclein real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) results.
- Results We found good correlations between CSF and plasma biomarkers for NfL (rho = 0.668, p Conclusions In a single-center clinical cohort, we confirm the high diagnostic value of plasma p-tau181 for distinguishing FTD from AD and plasma NfL for discriminating degenerative dementias from HC.
- In CBS and DLB, plasma p-tau181 and GFAP levels are significantly influenced by beta-amyloid pathology.
Why it matters
In a clinical cohort, plasma p-tau181 distinguished frontotemporal dementia from Alzheimer's disease, and plasma neurofilament light distinguished degenerative dementias from healthy controls. These biomarkers aid diagnosis and do not treat, cure, or prevent Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants59
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 57/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, 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 | 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 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 59 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 195 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 32.5 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 22.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 26 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 166 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Piero Parchi: h-index 84 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Bologna: institution h-index 989 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 36221099) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 57 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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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APA 7th
Baiardi, S., Quadalti, C., Mammana, A., Dellavalle, S., Zenesini, C., Sambati, L., et al. (2022). Diagnostic value of plasma p-tau181, NfL, and GFAP in a clinical setting cohort of prevalent neurodegenerative dementias. Alzheimer's research & therapy. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-022-01093-6
Vancouver
Baiardi S, Quadalti C, Mammana A, Dellavalle S, Zenesini C, Sambati L, et al. Diagnostic value of plasma p-tau181, NfL, and GFAP in a clinical setting cohort of prevalent neurodegenerative dementias. Alzheimer's research & therapy. 2022. doi:10.1186/s13195-022-01093-6. PMID: 36221099.
BibTeX
@article{baiardi2022-36221099,
author = {Baiardi, S. and Quadalti, C. and Mammana, A. and Dellavalle, S. and Zenesini, C. and Sambati, L. and Pantieri, R. and Polischi, B. and others},
title = {{Diagnostic value of plasma p-tau181, NfL, and GFAP in a clinical setting cohort of prevalent neurodegenerative dementias}},
journal = {Alzheimer's research \& therapy},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1186/s13195-022-01093-6},
pmid = {36221099},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-022-01093-6}
}
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