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37/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 37 out of 100. Disease mechanisms

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

In plasma, most complement analytes were not significantly different between spFTD and HC; the exceptions were C4 and FB, significantly decreased in spFTD vs HC ( p = 0.0192 and p = 0.0181, respectively), suggesting complement consumption in classical and alternative pathways. In EVs, levels of components (C4 p = 0.0029; FB, p = 0.0007; C5, p = 0.0243; C7, p = 0.0211; and C9, p = 0.0065) and regulators (FH, p = 0.0362; properdin, p = 0.0069; and clusterin, p = 0.0001) were significantly reduced in spFTD compared to HC, suggesting complement dysregulation or consumption. In CSF, complement activation markers (iC3b, p = 0.0325), components (C3, p = 0.0021; C4, p = 0.0036; FB, p = 0.0013; C5, p = 0.0018; C7, p = <0.0001; and C9, p = 0.0001), and regulators (FH, p = 0.0022; properdin, p = 0.0053; and clusterin, p = 0.0117, respectively) were significantly increased in symptomatic vs presymptomatic FTD, supporting increased dysregulation.

Key findings

In plasma, most complement analytes were not significantly different between spFTD and HC; the exceptions were C4 and FB, significantly decreased in spFTD vs HC ( p = 0.0192 and p = 0.0181, respectively), suggesting complement consumption in classical and alternative pathways.
In EVs, levels of components (C4 p = 0.0029; FB, p = 0.0007; C5, p = 0.0243; C7, p = 0.0211; and C9, p = 0.0065) and regulators (FH, p = 0.0362; properdin, p = 0.0069; and clusterin, p = 0.0001) were significantly reduced in spFTD compared to HC, suggesting complement dysregulation or consumption.
In CSF, complement activation markers (iC3b, p = 0.0325), components (C3, p = 0.0021; C4, p = 0.0036; FB, p = 0.0013; C5, p = 0.0018; C7, p = <0.0001; and C9, p = 0.0001), and regulators (FH, p = 0.0022; properdin, p = 0.0053; and clusterin, p = 0.0117, respectively) were significantly increased in symptomatic vs presymptomatic FTD, supporting increased dysregulation.

Why it matters

This study measured complement proteins in blood, exosomes, and cerebrospinal fluid and found signs of complement dysregulation in people with symptomatic frontotemporal dementia. It is a biomarker study only and does not test any treatment, so it does not show whether targeting complement would help patients.

Study details

Participants20
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 37/100

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 (Immunobiology)
Journal's citation record	1 / 4	Immunobiology: journal h-index 134 (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	20 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 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	1 / 6	Cited 0.6× 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 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Wioleta Milena Zelek: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	1 / 2	Not in PubMed, but has a DOI
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	37 / 100	—

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

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

Watkins, L. M., Nicholls, L. E., Lee, K., Byrne, R. A., Cooke, R. S., Morgan, B. P., et al. (2025). Profiling complement dysregulation in frontotemporal dementia using cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and exosomes. Immunobiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imbio.2025.152941

Vancouver

Watkins LM, Nicholls LE, Lee K, Byrne RA, Cooke RS, Morgan BP, et al. Profiling complement dysregulation in frontotemporal dementia using cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and exosomes. Immunobiology. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.imbio.2025.152941.

BibTeX

@article{watkins2025-51cf21da,
  author  = {Watkins, Lewis M. and Nicholls, Laura E. and Lee, K. and Byrne, Robert A.J. and Cooke, Rebekah S. and Morgan, B. Paul and Sogorb‐Esteve, Aitana and Zelek, Wioleta Milena},
  title   = {{Profiling complement dysregulation in frontotemporal dementia using cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and exosomes}},
  journal = {Immunobiology},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1016/j.imbio.2025.152941},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imbio.2025.152941}
}

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