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microtubule-associated protein tau in serum/plasma

Indications: - evaulation of cerebral concussion [1] - specifying target populations for trials that focus on behavior [5] Reference interval: - reported in picograms per milliliter Clinical significance: - one hour post head injury plasma levels predict time to symptom resolution - repeated head trauma predicts later life plasma total tau in NFL players [2] - plasma total tau at least as strongly associated with incident Alzheimer's dementia as CSF tau [3] - baseline plasma total tau in connection with plasma neurofilament light chain associated with worse global cognition & memory loss & with neuroimaging, including temporal cortex thickness & increased number of infarcts, but did not add to prognostic value over 6 year period [4] - 5x higher concentrations of serum total tau associated with increased risk of overall mortality (RR=1.46) [6] Pathology: - marker of axonal damage [1] - higher plasma total tau level associated with: [3] - poorer cognition across 7 cognitive tasks - smaller hippocampal volume - neurofibrillary tangles* - microinfarcts* * at autopsy Notes: - physical activity associated with slower cognitive decline, more so in persons with higher plasma total tau [5]

Related

microtubule-associated protein tau (neurofibrillary tangle protein, paired helical filament-tau, PHF-tau, MAPT, MTBT1, m-tau, mtau)

Specific

brain-derived microtubule-associated protein tau in serum/plasma phosphorylated tau in serum/plasma

General

microtubule-associated protein tau in body fluid

References

  1. Shahim P et al Blood Biomarkers for Brain Injury in Concussed Professional Ice Hockey Players. JAMA Neurol. Published online March 13, 2014 PMID: 24627036 http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1846623 - Gatson J and Diaz-Arrastia R Tau as a Biomarker of Concussion JAMA Neurol. Published online March 13, 2014. PMID: 24627000 http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1846622
  2. Bassett M Plasma Total-Tau Level May Flag CTE - Lack of biomarker frustrates CTE researchers. MedPage Today. April 24, 2017 https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAN/64766 - Alosco M, et al An investigation on repetitive head impact exposure and plasma total tau concentrations in former National Football League players American Academy of Neurology 2017 Annual Meeting
  3. Pase MP, Beiser AS, Himali JJ et al Assessment of Plasma Total Tau Level as a Predictive Biomarker for Dementia and Related Endophenotypes. JAMA Neurol. Published online March 4, 2019. PMID: 30830207 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2726948
  4. George J Blood-Based Markers Tied to Brain Cell and Memory Loss. Another step closer to clinical utility for tracking neurodegeneration. MedPage Today April 16, 2021 https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aan/92140 - Marks J, et al Comparison of neurofilament light and total tau as blood-based biomarkers of neurodegeneration: associations with cognition and neuroimaging outcomes. American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2021.
  5. Desai P, Evans D, Dhana K et al Longitudinal Association of Total Tau Concentrations and Physical Activity With Cognitive Decline in a Population Sample. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(8):e2120398. Aug 11 PMID: 34379124 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2782979
  6. Halloway S et al Serum total tau, neurofilament light, and glial fibrillary acidic protein are associated with mortality in a population study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2024 Jan;72(1):149-159 PMID: 37818793 https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgs.18632

Component-of

phosphorylated tau/total tau in serum/plasma PrecivityAD2 blood test algorithm; amyloid probability score 2 (APS2); plasma ptau217/total tau + amyloid-beta-42/amyloid-beta-40 in plasma