CSF Aß40 Levels Do Not Correlate with the Clinical Manifestations of Alzheimer's Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker quantification provides physicians with a reliable diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relationship between their concentration and disease course has not been clearly elucidated. This work aimed to investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of Aß40 CSF levels. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of 76 patients diagnosed with AD using a decreased Aß42/Aß40 ratio was subclassified into hyposecretors (Aß40 <7,755 pg/mL), normosecretors (Aß40 7,755-16,715 pg/mL), and hypersecretors (Aß40 >16,715 pg/mL). Potential differences in AD phenotype, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores, and Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) stages were assessed. Correlation tests for biomarker concentrations were also performed. RESULTS: Participants were classified as hyposecretors (n = 22, median Aß40 5,870.500 pg/mL, interquartile range [IQR] 1,431), normosecretors (n = 47, median Aß40 10,817 pg/mL, IQR 3,622), and hypersecretors (n = 7, 19,767 pg/mL, IQR 3,088). The distribution of positive phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) varied significantly between subgroups and was more common in the normo- and hypersecretor categories (p = 0.003). Aß40 and p-Tau concentrations correlated positively (ρ = 0.605, p < 0.001). No significant differences were found among subgroups regarding age, initial MoCA score, initial GDS stage, progression to the dementia stage, or changes in the MoCA score. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found no significant differences in clinical symptoms or disease progression in AD patients according to their CSF Aß40 concentration. Aß40 was positively correlated with p-Tau and total Tau concentrations, supporting their potential interaction in AD pathophysiology.

Serum Retinol, Folic Acid, and Copper Are Associated With Sperm Abnormalities in Men With Obesity.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Micronutrients may influence the development and differentiation of sperm cells. The aim of this study was to assess the possible association of deficiencies in several vitamins and trace elements with sperm abnormalities in men with obesity. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Thirty male patients with moderate to severe obesity and ten lean controls who gave written informed consent were included. Anthropometric parameters were recorded. Hormonal and lipid profiles were analyzed, as well as serum concentrations of zinc, copper, retinol, α-tocopherol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, cobalamin, and folic acid. For sperm analysis, we used the reference values proposed by the World Health Organization. RESULTS: Fourteen of the thirty men (47%) presented abnormal sperm results. The most common abnormality was low motility in 33% of them, followed by low sperm concentration in 27% of the patients. Patients with abnormal sperm results showed lower serum folic acid (p = 0.005) and higher serum estradiol (p = 0.015) and copper (p = 0.033) than lean controls. The ejaculate volume inversely correlated with body mass index (BMI; r = -0.378, p = 0.016) and serum estradiol (r = -0.328, p = 0.041). Total number of sperm correlated inversely with BMI (r = -0.428, p = 0.006) and serum estradiol (r = -0.507, p = 0.001) and positively with serum folic acid (r = 0.356, p = 0.026) and retinol (r = 0.421, p = 0.009). Total motility of sperm inversely correlated with BMI (r = -0.433, p = 0.005), serum estradiol (r = -0.475, p = 0.002), and copper (r = -0.416, p = 0.012) and positively correlated with serum folic acid (r = 0.522, p = 0.001) and retinol (r = 0.350, p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Sperm abnormalities in men with obesity are associated with excess body weight and micronutrient concentrations.