Evaluation of hsa-let-7d-5p, hsa-let-7g-5p and hsa-miR-15b-5p plasma levels in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may be promising diagnostic biomarkers for AD. Previous evidence shows that miR-15b-5p, hsa-let7g-5p and hsa-let7d-5p might confer potential blood biomarkers for timely diagnosis of AD. Therefore, in this replication study, we aimed to investigate the serum transcript level of these miRNAs to assess for their potential as diagnostic or prognostic biomarker in AD patients. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 50 AD patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Then, total RNA was extracted from serum samples, cDNA was synthesized, and the expression level of miRNAs was measured by the real-time PCR method. RESULTS: The expression level of hsa-let7d-5p (fold change = 2.14, P = 0.007) and hsa-let7g-5p (fold change = 1.94; P = 0.013) was significantly increased in the AD patients compared to control individuals. However, the difference in the transcription of miR-15b-5p between the two groups was not statistically significant (fold change = 1.08; P = 0.76). The AROC for transcript levels of hsa-let-7d-5p was 0.68 (P = 0.014; 95% CI, 0.39-0.88) and it was 0.64 for hsa-let-7g-5p (P = 0.028; 95% CI, 0.27-0.89). The cut-off value for let-7d-5p had 0.82 sensitivity and 0.34 specificity. Moreover, the cut-off value for hsa-let-7g-5p indicated a 0.79 sensitivity and 0.28 specificity. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the potential of measuring the transcript levels of hsa-let7d-5p and hsa-let7g-5p miRNAs as a diagnostic biomarker for AD.

Turkish Version of the Test Your Memory (TYM-TR) as a Screening Tool in Memory Clinics.

INTRODUCTION: This study compared the Turkish version of Test Your Memory (TYM) MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) and CDT (Clock Drawing Test) in patients with neurocognitive disorder. METHODS: After a thorough medical workup, patients with a diagnosis of neurocognitive disorder were enrolled. A cross-sectional design was used to compare the TYM results with those of MMSE and CDT. RESULTS: This study was conducted on 100 patients, including 46 males and 54 females, aged 52 to 86. The majority of patients were diagnosed with vascular neurocognitive disorder. The z-score of TYM-TR was significantly lower in the domains of registration, recall, visuospatial, and total score. The same results were achieved when CDT was added to MMSE. The same pattern was observed separately for those who were diagnosed with a mild or major neurocognitive disorder. CONCLUSION: Patients' cognitive deficits might be more evident when measured by the TYM-TR compared to the MMSE.