Measurement of alpha- and beta-secretase cleaved amyloid precursor protein in cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer patients
Olsson A, Höglund K, Sjögren M, Andreasen N, Minthon L, Lannfelt L, Buerger K, Möller HJ et al.. Experimental neurology, 2003-09-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
One of the major histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is redundant senile plaques mainly composed of beta-amyloid (Abeta) aggregates. Alternative cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), occurring in both normal and AD subjects, results in the generation and secretion of soluble APP (sAPP) and Abeta. We examined the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for alpha- and beta-secretase cleaved sAPP (alpha-sAPP and beta-sAPP) in 81 sporadic AD patients, 19 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 42 healthy controls by using newly developed sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. We found that neither the level of CSF-alpha-sAPP nor CSF-beta-sAPP differed between sporadic AD patients and healthy controls. These findings further support the conclusion that there is no change in APP expression in sporadic AD. However, the level of CSF-beta-sAPP was significantly increased in patients with mild cognitive impairment compared to controls. We also investigated the relationship between the CSF level of alpha/beta-sAPP and Abeta(42) and the apoE epsilon 4 (apoE4) allele. Significantly lower levels of CSF-alpha-sAPP were found in AD patients possessing one or two apoE4 alleles than in those not possessing the apoE4 allele. Neither the levels of CSF-beta-sAPP nor CSF-Abeta(42) differed when comparing ApoE4 allele-positive with allele-negative individuals.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Olsson, A., Höglund, K., Sjögren, M., Andreasen, N., Minthon, L., Lannfelt, L., et al. (2003). Measurement of alpha- and beta-secretase cleaved amyloid precursor protein in cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer patients. Experimental neurology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0014-4886(03)00027-x
Vancouver
Olsson A, Höglund K, Sjögren M, Andreasen N, Minthon L, Lannfelt L, et al. Measurement of alpha- and beta-secretase cleaved amyloid precursor protein in cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer patients. Experimental neurology. 2003. doi:10.1016/s0014-4886(03)00027-x. PMID: 12957490.
BibTeX
@article{olsson2003-12957490,
author = {Olsson, A. and Höglund, K. and Sjögren, M. and Andreasen, N. and Minthon, L. and Lannfelt, L. and Buerger, K. and Möller, H. J. and others},
title = {{Measurement of alpha- and beta-secretase cleaved amyloid precursor protein in cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer patients}},
journal = {Experimental neurology},
year = {2003},
doi = {10.1016/s0014-4886(03)00027-x},
pmid = {12957490},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0014-4886(03)00027-x}
}
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
- Alternative cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), occurring in both normal and AD subjects, results in the generation and secretion of soluble APP (sAPP) and Abeta.
- We found that neither the level of CSF-alpha-sAPP nor CSF-beta-sAPP differed between sporadic AD patients and healthy controls.
- These findings further support the conclusion that there is no change in APP expression in sporadic AD.
- However, the level of CSF-beta-sAPP was significantly increased in patients with mild cognitive impairment compared to controls.
- Significantly lower levels of CSF-alpha-sAPP were found in AD patients possessing one or two apoE4 alleles than in those not possessing the apoE4 allele.
Why it matters
In cerebrospinal fluid from 81 sporadic Alzheimer's patients and 42 healthy controls, levels of alpha- and beta-secretase cleaved amyloid precursor protein did not differ between groups. However, beta-sAPP was increased in patients with mild cognitive impairment, and alpha-sAPP was lower in Alzheimer's patients carrying the apoE4 allele.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
Study details
- Participants19
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Experimental neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Experimental Neurology: journal h-index 271 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2003 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 19 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 133 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.3 citations a year over 25 year(s) since 2003 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Kaj Blennow: h-index 220 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12957490) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription Unpaywall, Europe PMC and OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 10 Oct 2026), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 13.
Later studies that cite this one
5 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Genetics
Also tagged “precursor”
1,337 studies in the library carry the topic tag “precursor”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,337 tagged studies.