Serum-based protein profiles of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in elderly Hispanics

Aim: To describe the biomarker profiles in elderly Panamanians diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or no impairment using serum-based biomarkers. Methods: Twenty-four proteins were analyzed using an electrochemiluminescence-based multiplex biomarker assay platform. A biomarker profile was generated using random forest analyses. Results: Two proteins differed among groups: IL-18 and T-lymphocyte-secreted protein I-309. The AD profile was highly accurate and independent of age, gender, education and Apolipoprotein E ε4 status. AD and MCI profiles had substantial overlap among the top markers, suggesting common functions in AD and MCI but differences in their relative importance. Conclusion: Our results underscore the potential influence of genetic and environmental differences within Hispanic populations on the proteomic profile of AD.