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. 2021 Jan 18;71(11):2179–2191. doi: 10.1007/s12031-020-01776-5

Table 2.

Clinical evidence supporting the role of Tau in PD pathophysiology

Type of sample Cohorts Findings Citation (Year)
CSF

N = 70

-PDND (n = 20)

-PDD (n = 20)

-HC (n = 30)

CSF t-Tau and p-Tau levels:

-higher in PDD than PDND and HC

-associate with impaired memory and naming in PD

Compta et al. (2009)
CSF

N = 62

-PD (n = 32)

-HC (n = 30)

1. Higher Tau and clusterin levels in PD versus HC

2. Higher Tau, Tau/Aβ42 and clusterin in patients suffering from PD less than 2 years versus those more than 2 years

Přikrylová Vranová et al. (2010)
CSF

N = 165

-PD (n = 109)

-AD (n = 20)

-HC (n = 36)

CSF t-Tau and p-Tau levels:

-no different in HC versus PD without treatment

Alves et al. (2010)
CSF

N = 345

-PD (n = 49)

-PD-CIND (n = 62)

-PDD (n = 11)

-AD (n = 49)

-aMCI (n = 24)

-HC (n = 150)

CSF t-Tau and p-Tau levels:

-unchanged in PD-CIND and PDD

CSF Aβ42 levels:

-reduced in PD-CIND and PDD

Montine et al. (2010)
CSF

N = 121

-PDD (n = 21)

-AD (n = 45)

-DLB (n = 15)

-HC (n = 40)

CSF Tau levels:

-no difference between PDD and HC

CSF Aβ levels:

-lower in PDD versus HC

Bibl et al. (2010)
CSF

N = 56

-TDPD (n = 6)

-NTPD (n = 6)

-AD (n = 27)

-HC (n = 17)

CSF t-Tau and Tau/Aβ42 levels:

-significantly increased in both NTPD and AD compared with TDPD and HC groups

Jellinger (2012)
CSF

N = 22

-PD

CSF Aβ42, Aβ42/t-Tau, BDNF levels:

-have significant associations with cognitive impairment in non-demented PD patients

Leverenz et al. (2011)
CSF

N = 181

-PD (n = 38)

-DLB (n = 32)

-AD (n = 48)

-FTD (n = 31)

-HC (n = 32)

1. Aβ42, t-Tau and p-Tau levels in PD patients were similar to controls

2. T-Tau/α-Syn and p-Tau/α-Syn showed the lowest values in PD patients

Parnetti et al. (2011)
CSF

PD (n = 48)

-EDO-PD (n = 17)

-TD-PD (n = 15)

-NT-PD (n = 16)

AD (n = 18)

HC (n = 19)

In PD patients:

-Tau and Tau/Aβ42 levels higher in NT-PD versus the other groups

-Tau levels have a close relationship with motor manifestation in NT-PD

Přikrylová Vranová et al. (2012)
CSF

N = 403

-PD

Cross-sectional analyses:

-baseline CSF biomarker levels positively correlated with each other

-baseline CSF p-Tau/t-Tau and Aβ42 have borderline effects on the time to reach the endpoint

Longitudinal analyses:

-t-Tau and t-Tau/Aβ42 change rate are correlated with UPDRS total, or motor scores change rate

The Parkinson Study Group DATATOP Investigators et al. (2013)
CSF

N = 69

-PD (n = 44)

-HC (n = 25)

1. o/t-α-Syn and Aβ42/t-Tau ratio significantly contributing to the discrimination of PD from HC

2. Patients with low CSF Aβ42 level are more prone to develop cognitive decline

Parnetti et al. (2014)
CSF

N = 403

-PD

CSF p-Tau and p-Tau/Aβ42 levels:

-predict cognitive decline in PD since start treatment

Liu et al. (2015)
CSF

N = 390

-PD

Combination of age, non-motor assessments, DAT imaging, and CSF Aβ42/t-Tau ratio can predict the occurrence of cognitive impairment in PD patients during 2-years follow-up study Schrag et al. (2017)
CSF

N = 285

-PD (n = 173)

-HC (n = 112)

12 years longitudinal study in PD:

-Aβ42 increase in both groups

-t-Tau and α-Syn levels remained stable

-p-Tau increased marginally more in PD over time

-p-Tau/t-Tau increased, and t-Tau/Aβ42 decreased slightly

Across time points:

-t-Tau, p-Tau, and α-Syn levels were significantly lower in PD versus HC

Mollenhauer et al. (2017)

CSF

Neuroimaging

PD = 421

-mild motor predominant (n = 223)

-intermediate (n = 146)

-diffuse malignant (n = 52)

1. Diffuse malignant PD have lowest Aβ and Aβ/t-Tau levels in CSF

2. MRI morphometry showed more atrophy and disease-specific network in diffuse malignant PD

Fereshtehnejad et al. (2017)

CSF

Plasma

N = 115

-PD (n = 51)

-HC-CSF (n = 40)

-HC-Plasma (n = 24)

1. CSF levels of α-Syn, Aβ42, and TNF-α were lower in patients than in controls

2. The t-Tau/α-Syn, p-Tau/α-Syn, t-Tau/Aβ42 + α-Syn, and p-Tau/Aβ42 + α-Syn ratios were higher in patients

3. P-Tau/α-Syn alone and also combined with TNF-α obtained the best AUC

4. IL-6 positively correlated with UPDRS scores

Delgado-Alvarado (2017)
CSF

cohort 1

-PD (n = 281)

cohort 2

-PD (n = 40)

1. T-Tau/Aβ42, t-Tau/α-Syn, t-Tau/Aβ42 + α-Syn, Aβ42/t-Tau ratios are associated with dementia risk over a 3-year follow-up

2. T-Tau/α-Syn and t-Tau/Aβ42 + α-Syn ratios are associated with progression to dementia over a 41-month follow-up

Delgado-Alvarado et al. (2018)
CSF

N = 136

-DLB (n = 51)

-PD (n = 53)

-HC (n = 32)

CSF Tau and p-Tau levels:

-higher Tau levels in DLB versus PDD

-higher Tau levels in PDD versus PD

-Tau levels no difference between PD and HC

-both reflect severity of dementia in PDD and DLB

CSF p-Tau/Tau levels:

-lower in DLB versus PDD

Gmitterová (2018)
CSF

N = 68

-PD (n = 30)

-CBS (n = 11)

-CBD (n = 8)

-HC (n = 19)

1. 24-OHC levels increased in PD or CBS patients

2. CSF 24-OHC, Tau and p-Tau levels in PD, CBS or CBD patients correlate with each other

Björkhem et al. (2018)
CSF

N = 230

-PDND (n = 120)

-HC (n = 110)

1. P-Tau levels were significantly lower in the PD group and rose significantly during the 1-year follow-up time in the PD group

2. T-Tau levels were different between the two groups at all time points despite their non-significant longitudinal changes

Dolatshahi et al. (2018)
CSF

N = 557

-PD (n = 415)

-HC (n = 142)

10-year follow-up study of sporadic PD

-low levels of Aβ42 are associated with a higher risk of developing cognitive impairment earlier in the disease process

Lerche et al. (2019)
Neuroimaging

PD (n = 30)

-PD-CN (n = 15)

-PD-MCI (n = 15)

HC (n = 49)

Patterns of cortical Tau and Aβ do not differ in three groups Winer et al. (2018)
Neuroimaging

N = 17

-PD

No significant increase in Tau tangles occurred after a two-year follow-up of PD patients Hansen et al. (2020)