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Increased CSF APPs-α levels in patients with Alzheimer disease treated with acitretin
Endres K, Fahrenholz F, Lotz J, Hiemke C, Teipel S, Lieb K, Tüscher O, Fellgiebel A.. Neurology, 2014-10-24
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objective We investigated induction of α-secretase A disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10) by the synthetic retinoid acitretin (Neotigason; Actavis, München-Riem, Germany) in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD) via measurement of CSF content of α-secretase-derived amyloid precursor protein (APPs-α). Methods Twenty-one patients clinically diagnosed with mild to moderate AD received acitretin (30 mg per day) or placebo in a 4-week double-blind study. Primary endpoint was the difference of CSF APPs-α ratios calculated from the APPs-α levels after treatment and at baseline.
Key findings
- Methods Twenty-one patients clinically diagnosed with mild to moderate AD received acitretin (30 mg per day) or placebo in a 4-week double-blind study.
- Primary endpoint was the difference of CSF APPs-α ratios calculated from the APPs-α levels after treatment and at baseline.
- We monitored safety and tolerability of the treatment.
- In addition, we assessed biomarkers such as β-amyloid 42 (Aβ42) under treatment conditions.
Why it matters
In a 4-week double-blind study of 21 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, acitretin treatment was assessed by measuring CSF APPs-α levels, along with safety and tolerability. This small short trial measured a biomarker and did not show that acitretin treats, cures, or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| 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 | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 138 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.9 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 30 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Andreas Fellgiebel: h-index 49 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz: institution h-index 934 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25344383) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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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 names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Endres, K., Fahrenholz, F., Lotz, J., Hiemke, C., Teipel, S., Lieb, K., et al. (2014). Increased CSF APPs-α levels in patients with Alzheimer disease treated with acitretin. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001017
Vancouver
Endres K, Fahrenholz F, Lotz J, Hiemke C, Teipel S, Lieb K, et al. Increased CSF APPs-α levels in patients with Alzheimer disease treated with acitretin. Neurology. 2014. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000001017. PMID: 25344383.
BibTeX
@article{endres2014-25344383,
author = {Endres, K. and Fahrenholz, F. and Lotz, J. and Hiemke, C. and Teipel, S. and Lieb, K. and Tüscher, O. and Fellgiebel, A.},
title = {{Increased CSF APPs-α levels in patients with Alzheimer disease treated with acitretin}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000001017},
pmid = {25344383},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001017}
}
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