Elevated plasma levels of exosomal BACE1‑AS combined with the volume and thickness of the right entorhinal cortex may serve as a biomarker for the detection of Alzheimer's disease

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and exosomes are involved in the pathological process of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the pathological changes of which are usually first observed in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the measurement of plasma exosomal lncRNA combined with image data of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus could be used as a biomarker of AD. A total of 72 patients with AD and 62 controls were recruited, and the expression levels of several lncRNAs were assessed. Of the recruited participants, 22 patients and 26 controls received brain 3D‑BRAVO sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, which were analyzed using an automated analysis tool. The plasma exosomal β‑site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme‑1‑antisense transcript (BACE1‑AS) levels in patients with AD were significantly higher compared with the controls (P