Plasma TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) levels in a population-based cohort of older adults: The cardiovascular health study

J Alzheimers Dis. 2025 Jun;105(4):1275-1281. doi: 10.1177/13872877251334820. Epub 2025 Apr 23.

Abstract

Brain deposition of transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a feature of neurodegenerative syndromes. We evaluated TDP-43 plasma concentrations in 1058 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a population-based longitudinal cohort. The cohort was 38% male, 11% Black, had a mean age 75 years, and 261 people developed dementia over a mean of 5.5 years of follow up. Median TDP-43 levels were 211.0 pg/mL (IQR: 134.0-341.0 pg/mL). TDP-43 levels were not associated with cross-sectional or longitudinal change in cognitive scores, with plasma AD biomarkers, with brain MRI volumes, with incident dementia, or with demographic characteristics.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; brain pathology; cognitive decline; neurodegeneration.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / blood
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • DNA-Binding Proteins* / blood
  • Dementia / blood
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male

Substances

  • TARDBP protein, human
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Biomarkers