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Onset of Preclinical Alzheimer Disease in Monozygotic Twins
Author(s) -
Konijnenberg Elles,
Tomassen Jori,
Braber Anouk,
Kate Mara,
Yaqub Maqsood,
Mulder Sandra D.,
Nivard Michel G.,
Vanderstichele Hugo,
Lammertsma Adriaan A.,
Teunissen Charlotte E.,
Berckel Bart N. M.,
Boomsma Dorret I.,
Scheltens Philip,
Tijms Betty M.,
Visser Pieter Jelle
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.26048
Subject(s) - twin study , monozygotic twin , cerebrospinal fluid , medicine , apolipoprotein e , family aggregation , endocrinology , pathophysiology , positron emission tomography , amyloid beta , alzheimer's disease , disease , pathology , biology , genetics , nuclear medicine , heritability
Objective The present work was undertaken to study the genetic contribution to the start of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with amyloid and tau biomarkers in cognitively intact older identical twins. Methods We studied in 96 monozygotic twin‐pairs relationships between amyloid‐beta (Aβ) aggregation as measured by the Aβ1–42/1–40 ratio in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF; n = 126) and positron emission tomography (PET, n = 194), and CSF markers for Aβ production (beta‐secretase 1, Aβ1–40, and Aβ1–38) and CSF tau. Associations among markers were tested with generalized estimating equations including a random effect for twin status, adjusted for age, gender, and apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype. We used twin analyses to determine relative contributions of genetic and/or environmental factors to AD pathophysiological processes. Results Twenty‐seven individuals (14%) had an abnormal amyloid PET, and 14 twin‐pairs (15%) showed discordant amyloid PET scans. Within twin‐pairs, Aβ production markers and total‐tau (t‐tau) levels strongly correlated ( r range = 0.73–0.86, all p < 0.0001), and Aβ aggregation markers and 181‐phosphorylated‐tau (p‐tau) levels correlated moderately strongly ( r range = 0.50–0.64, all p < 0.0001). Cross‐twin cross‐trait analysis showed that Aβ1–38 in one twin correlated with Aβ1–42/1–40 ratios, and t‐tau and p‐tau levels in their cotwins ( r range = −0.28 to 0.58, all p < .007). Within‐pair differences in Aβ production markers related to differences in tau levels ( r range = 0.49–0.61, all p < 0.0001). Twin discordance analyses suggest that Aβ production and tau levels show coordinated increases in very early AD. Interpretation Our results suggest a substantial genetic/shared environmental background contributes to both Aβ and tau increases, suggesting that modulation of environmental risk factors may aid in delaying the onset of AD pathophysiological processes. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:987–1000