ABCA7‐reducing mutation carriers have reduced CSF amyloid biomarker levels, suggestive of increased amyloid deposition

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThe Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk gene ABCA7 has suggested functions in lipid metabolism and the immune system. Rare premature termination codon (PTC) mutations and an expansion of a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in the gene, both likely cause a lower ABCA7 expression and hereby increased risk for AD. However, the exact mechanism‐of‐action remains unclear. By studying CSF biomarkers reflecting different types of AD‐related pathological processes, we aim to get a better insight in those processes and establish a biomarker profile of mutation carriers.MethodThe study population consisted of 228 AD patients (27 PTC mutation and 16 pathogenic expansion carriers) for whom CSF was available and ABCA7 sequencing and VNTR genotyping had been performed. CSF levels of amyloid β (Aβ) 40 and 42, sAPP‐α and ‐β, YKL‐40 and hFABP were determined using ELISA and Meso Scale Discovery assays. We compared differences in levels of these biomarkers AD patients with or without an ABCA7 PTC mutation or expansion, and further stratified on APOE e4 status.ResultCarriers of ABCA7 mutations/expansions had significantly lower Aβ42 levels (p= 0.0031) and amyloid ratio (p=0.020) compared to non‐carrier patients, and were threefold more likely to have abnormal Aβ42 values. The effect on amyloid biomarkers remained significant when considering PTC mutations or VNTR expansions separately. APOE e4 carriers had significantly lower Aβ42 (p=0.0013) and amyloid ratio (p<0.001) compared to non‐APOE e4 carriers. When combined, both APOE e4 allele and ABCA7 carrier status influenced amyloid ratio and Aβ42 levels. Remarkably, within non‐APOE e4 carriers, ABCA7 mutation/expansion carriers did have significantly reduced Aβ42 levels (mean=540 pg/mL) compared to ABCA7 non‐carriers (812 pg/mL; p=0.0051), attaining lower levels as e4 carriers (612 pg/mL). Finally, in carriers of the pathogenic expansion we observed lower YKL40 levels (p=0.011), suggesting reduced neuroinflammation.ConclusionOur results highlight that carriers of ABCA7 PTC mutations and repeat expansions show more pronounced abnormalities in CSF amyloid beta markers than non‐carrier patients, especially in non‐APOE e4 carriers. Expansion carriers also had a decrease in neuroinflammation marker YKL40. Our results suggest that reduced ABCA7 expression leads to increase in amyloid pathology and potentially a reduced inflammatory response to damage.