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INTRODUCTION:Bile acids (BAs) are the end products of cholesterol metabolism produced by human and gut microbiome co-metabolism. Recent evidence suggests gut microbiota influence pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) including neuroinflammation and amyloid-β deposition. METHOD:Serum levels of 20 primary and secondary BA metabolites from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (n = 1562) were measured using targeted metabolomic profiling. We assessed the association of BAs with the "A/T/N" (amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration) biomarkers for AD: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, atrophy (magnetic resonance imaging), and brain glucose metabolism ([18F]FDG PET). RESULTS:Of 23 BAs and relevant calculated ratios after quality control procedures, three BA signatures were associated with CSF Aβ1-42 ("A") and three with CSF p-tau181 ("T") (corrected P < .05). Furthermore, three, twelve, and fourteen BA signatures were associated with CSF t-tau, glucose metabolism, and atrophy ("N"), respectively (corrected P < .05). DISCUSSION:This is the first study to show serum-based BA metabolites are associated with "A/T/N" AD biomarkers, providing further support for a role of BA pathways in AD pathophysiology. Prospective clinical observations and validation in model systems are needed to assess causality and specific mechanisms underlying this association.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.jalz.2018.08.012

Type

Journal article

Journal

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association

Publication Date

01/02/2019

Volume

15

Pages

232 - 244

Addresses

Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, and the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Keywords

Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and the Alzheimer Disease Metabolomics Consortium