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Quantitative Assessment of the Effect of Chronic Kidney Disease on Plasma P-Tau217 Concentrations
Bornhorst JA, Lundgreen CS, Weigand SD, Figdore DJ, Wiste H, Griswold M, Vemuri P, Graff-Radford J, Knopman DS, Cogswell P, Jack CR, Petersen RC, et al.. Neurology, 2025-01-17
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background and objectives Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to be associated with increased plasma phosphorylated tau217 (p-tau217) concentrations, potentially confounding the utility of plasma p-tau217 measurements as a marker of amyloid pathology in individuals with suspected Alzheimer disease (AD). Log-log linear regression fits were used to quantitatively predict increases in plasma p-tau217 associated with decreasing eGFR. Results Participants (n = 202, mean age of 78 years, 38% female) with diagnoses of cognitive unimpairment (n = 109), mild cognitive impairment (n = 71), and dementia (n = 22) were included. In addition, 86 (43%) of all participants were classified as having CKD (CKD stages 3-4). p-Tau217 concentrations were significantly higher in A- participants with an eGFR of 2 ), as compared with those with eGFR >60 A- participants. Discussion CKD was associated with increased p-tau217 concentrations when measuring p-tau217 by ALZpath and C 2 N methodologies, but the effect was mitigated by the use of %p-tau217. These results indicate limitations for the utility of plasma p-tau217 measurements in individuals with significant renal impairment (eGFR Classification of evidence This study provides Class II evidence that in individuals with CKD stage 3 (especially stage 3b) or higher, p-tau217 concentrations are increased, with a greater increase in amyloid-PET-negative individuals.
Key findings
- Background and objectives Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to be associated with increased plasma phosphorylated tau217 (p-tau217) concentrations, potentially confounding the utility of plasma p-tau217 measurements as a marker of amyloid pathology in individuals with suspected Alzheimer disease (AD).
- Log-log linear regression fits were used to quantitatively predict increases in plasma p-tau217 associated with decreasing eGFR.
- Results Participants (n = 202, mean age of 78 years, 38% female) with diagnoses of cognitive unimpairment (n = 109), mild cognitive impairment (n = 71), and dementia (n = 22) were included.
- In addition, 86 (43%) of all participants were classified as having CKD (CKD stages 3-4). p-Tau217 concentrations were significantly higher in A- participants with an eGFR of 2 ), as compared with those with eGFR >60 A- participants.
- Discussion CKD was associated with increased p-tau217 concentrations when measuring p-tau217 by ALZpath and C 2 N methodologies, but the effect was mitigated by the use of %p-tau217.
Why it matters
Chronic kidney disease was associated with higher plasma p-tau217 concentrations, which could confound its use as a marker of amyloid pathology in people with kidney impairment. The effect was mitigated by using %p-tau217, indicating limitations for standard p-tau217 measurements in individuals with significant renal impairment.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants202
- Effect size+31% to +55% p-tau217 at eGFR 45 vs 60 in amyloid-negative individuals; +19% for %p-tau217
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 69/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on free to read, so that was left out: it earned 68 of the 98 points we could judge it on, which is 69 out of 100.
| 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 | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 202 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 70 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 23.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 44.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 12 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 70 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Alicia Algeciras‐Schimnich: h-index 40 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39823562) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 68 / 98 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 68 of the 98 points we could judge it on is 69 out of 100. |
| Total | 69 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000210287
- PubMed: 39823562
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Bornhorst, J. A., Lundgreen, C. S., Weigand, S. D., Figdore, D. J., Wiste, H., Griswold, M., et al. (2025). Quantitative Assessment of the Effect of Chronic Kidney Disease on Plasma P-Tau217 Concentrations. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000210287
Vancouver
Bornhorst JA, Lundgreen CS, Weigand SD, Figdore DJ, Wiste H, Griswold M, et al. Quantitative Assessment of the Effect of Chronic Kidney Disease on Plasma P-Tau217 Concentrations. Neurology. 2025. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000210287. PMID: 39823562.
BibTeX
@article{bornhorst2025-39823562,
author = {Bornhorst, J. A. and Lundgreen, C. S. and Weigand, S. D. and Figdore, D. J. and Wiste, H. and Griswold, M. and Vemuri, P. and Graff-Radford, J. and Knopman, D. S. and Cogswell, P. and Jack, C. R. and Petersen, R. C. and others},
title = {{Quantitative Assessment of the Effect of Chronic Kidney Disease on Plasma P-Tau217 Concentrations}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1212/WNL.0000000000210287},
pmid = {39823562},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000210287}
}
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