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47/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 47 out of 100. Vascular contributions

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) exhibit distinct neuropathological hallmarks, with AD defined by cortical amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, while VaD arises primarily from cerebrovascular disease (CeVD). However, CeVD frequently coexists with AD, and both conditions fall within the spectrum of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Notably, chronic neuroinflammation is a shared mechanistic link between AD and VaD. Inflammasomes, multi-protein complexes that sense cellular damage and orchestrate inflammatory responses, have been implicated in preclinical models of both diseases. However, their translational potential in the clinical setting remains underexplored. Here, we investigate the inflammasome adaptor protein, apoptosis associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), as a novel serum biomarker for CeVD, cognitive decline and VCI progression. A total of 531 participants (123 non-cognitively impaired, 208 cognitive impaired, no dementia and 200 with dementia) were included from a Singapore-based clinical cohort. All subjects underwent comprehensive clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging assessments. Serum samples were collected, and ASC was measured using a microfluidics immunoassay platform. Compared to controls, serum ASC levels were increased in the VCI clinical subgroups, namely, cognitive impaired, no dementia with CeVD, AD with CeVD and VaD. Multivariate analyses using CeVD neuroimaging markers showed associations between serum ASC and white matter hyperintensities, but not with lacunes or cerebral microbleeds. Mediation analyses similarly showed that the association between ASC and VCI subgroups may be largely explainable by severity of concomitant CeVD, specifically white matter hyperintensities volume. Our findings indicate that elevated serum ASC levels may reflect a state of inflammasome activation in VCI, particularly in individuals with extensive white matter hyperintensities. These results underscore the potential role of dysregulated inflammasome activation not only as a pathogenic factor but also as a potential therapeutic target for VCI.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Chai, Y. L., Hilal, S., Cai, V. Y., Mok, V. C. T., Chong, J. R., Liao, Y., et al. (2026). Elevated serum inflammasome adaptor protein ASC is associated with white matter hyperintensities in vascular cognitive impairment. Brain Communications. https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcag068

Vancouver

Chai YL, Hilal S, Cai VY, Mok VCT, Chong JR, Liao Y, et al. Elevated serum inflammasome adaptor protein ASC is associated with white matter hyperintensities in vascular cognitive impairment. Brain Communications. 2026. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcag068. PMID: 41884592.

BibTeX

@article{chai2026-41884592,
  author  = {Chai, Yuek Ling and Hilal, Saima and Cai, Vera Yuan and Mok, Vincent C. T. and Chong, Joyce Ruifen and Liao, Yingqi and Tan, Boon Yeow and Venketasubramanian, Narayanaswamy and others},
  title   = {{Elevated serum inflammasome adaptor protein ASC is associated with white matter hyperintensities in vascular cognitive impairment}},
  journal = {Brain Communications},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.1093/braincomms/fcag068},
  pmid    = {41884592},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcag068}
}

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Key findings

Compared to controls, serum ASC levels were increased in the VCI clinical subgroups, namely, cognitive impaired, no dementia with CeVD, AD with CeVD and VaD.
Mediation analyses similarly showed that the association between ASC and VCI subgroups may be largely explainable by severity of concomitant CeVD, specifically white matter hyperintensities volume.
Our findings indicate that elevated serum ASC levels may reflect a state of inflammasome activation in VCI, particularly in individuals with extensive white matter hyperintensities.
These results underscore the potential role of dysregulated inflammasome activation not only as a pathogenic factor but also as a potential therapeutic target for VCI.

Why it matters

In this study of 531 participants, serum ASC levels were increased in vascular cognitive impairment subgroups compared to controls, and this association appeared largely explained by the severity of white matter hyperintensities. The authors say elevated serum ASC may reflect inflammasome activation in vascular cognitive impairment, but the study does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.

Study details

Participants531
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 47/100

Published in a leading specialty 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 45 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 47 out of 100.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	9 / 10	Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Brain Communications)
Journal's citation record	0 / 4	Brain Communications: journal h-index 67 (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	5 / 5	2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	2 / 4	531 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	1 / 5	1.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 9.5× 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 Mitchell K P Lai holds only 4 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score
Institution's track record	1 / 3	National University of Singapore: institution h-index 1,166 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41884592)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Points	45 / 96	Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 45 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 47 out of 100.
Total	47 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

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