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Tau-PET and CSF MTBR-tau243 comparisons validate increased tau aggregation in females
Carling G. Robinson, Alexa Pichet Binette, Kanta Horie, Chihiro Sato, Suzanne Elizabeth Schindler, Randall John Bateman, Tammie L.S. Benzinger, Shorena Janelidze et al.. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 2026-05-27
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
In both cohorts, CSF MTBR-tau243 was associated with tau-PET temporal meta-ROI burden (BioFINDER-2: β = 1.1, p = < 0.0001 and Knight-ADRC: β = 0.7, p = < 0.0001), and this association did not differ by sex (BioFINDER-2 β = 0.04, p = 0.6 and Knight-ADRC: β = 0.009, p = 0.9). Among Aβ-positive subgroups, results remained consistent for the main effect (BioFINDER-2: β = 1.1, p = < 0.0001 and Knight-ADRC: β = 0.7, p = < 0.0001) and interaction (BioFINDER-2: β = 0.04, p = 0.7 and Knight-ADRC: β = 0.06, p = 0.6). The lack of sex moderating the association between tau-PET and CSF MTBR-tau243 indicates that higher tau-PET signal in females reflects greater susceptibility to tau pathology rather than a methodological artifact.
Key findings
- In both cohorts, CSF MTBR-tau243 was associated with tau-PET temporal meta-ROI burden (BioFINDER-2: β = 1.1, p = < 0.0001 and Knight-ADRC: β = 0.7, p = < 0.0001), and this association did not differ by sex (BioFINDER-2 β = 0.04, p = 0.6 and Knight-ADRC: β = 0.009, p = 0.9).
- Among Aβ-positive subgroups, results remained consistent for the main effect (BioFINDER-2: β = 1.1, p = < 0.0001 and Knight-ADRC: β = 0.7, p = < 0.0001) and interaction (BioFINDER-2: β = 0.04, p = 0.7 and Knight-ADRC: β = 0.06, p = 0.6).
- The lack of sex moderating the association between tau-PET and CSF MTBR-tau243 indicates that higher tau-PET signal in females reflects greater susceptibility to tau pathology rather than a methodological artifact.
Why it matters
This study found that a fluid marker of tau aggregation matches tau PET brain scans in both men and women, and that the link between them did not differ by sex. This suggests that higher tau PET signal in females reflects a genuinely greater susceptibility to tau pathology rather than a measurement problem.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants446
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging: journal h-index 224 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 446 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 8.3× 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 | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Rik Ossenkoppele: h-index 84 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 10 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42191949) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1007/s00259-026-07934-y
- PubMed: 42191949
- Original source →
- Free full text: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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
Robinson, C. G., Binette, A. P., Horie, K., Sato, C., Schindler, S. E., Bateman, R. J., et al. (2026). Tau-PET and CSF MTBR-tau243 comparisons validate increased tau aggregation in females. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-026-07934-y
Vancouver
Robinson CG, Binette AP, Horie K, Sato C, Schindler SE, Bateman RJ, et al. Tau-PET and CSF MTBR-tau243 comparisons validate increased tau aggregation in females. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. 2026. doi:10.1007/s00259-026-07934-y. PMID: 42191949.
BibTeX
@article{robinson2026-42191949,
author = {Robinson, Carling G. and Binette, Alexa Pichet and Horie, Kanta and Sato, Chihiro and Schindler, Suzanne Elizabeth and Bateman, Randall John and Benzinger, Tammie L.S. and Janelidze, Shorena and others},
title = {{Tau-PET and CSF MTBR-tau243 comparisons validate increased tau aggregation in females}},
journal = {European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1007/s00259-026-07934-y},
pmid = {42191949},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-026-07934-y}
}
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