VGF Peptides in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Dementia with Lewy Bodies

• Main Authors: Inger van Steenoven, Barbara Noli, Cristina Cocco, Gian-Luca Ferri, Patrick Oeckl, Markus Otto, Marleen J. A. Koel-Simmelink, Claire Bridel, Wiesje M. van der Flier, Afina W. Lemstra, Charlotte E. Teunissen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: VGF; cerebrospinal fluid; dementia with Lewy bodies; synaptic dysfunction
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/20/19/4674
• ISSN: 1422-0067

In a previous proteomic study, we identified the neurosecretory protein VGF (VGF) as a potential biomarker for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Here, we extended the study of VGF by comparing levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 44 DLB patients, 20 Alzheimer&#8217;s disease (AD) patients, and 22 cognitively normal controls selected from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort. CSF was analyzed using two orthogonal analytical methods: (1) In-house-developed quantitative ELISA and (2) selected reaction monitoring (SRM). We further addressed associations of VGF with other CSF biomarkers and cognition. VGF levels were lower in CSF from patients with DLB compared to either AD patients or controls. VGF was positively correlated with CSF tau and &#945;-synuclein (0.55 &lt; <i>r</i> &lt; 0.75), but not with A&#946;1-42. In DLB patients, low VGF levels were related to a more advanced cognitive decline at time of first presentation, whereas high levels of VGF were associated with steeper subsequent longitudinal cognitive decline. Hence, CSF VGF levels were lower in DLB compared to both AD and controls across different analytical methods. The strong associations with cognitive decline further points out VGF as a possible disease stage or prognostic marker for DLB.