Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39754632›Full record

ArticleMetabolic brain disease2025

Exploring SERPINA3 as a neuroinflammatory modulator in Alzheimer's disease with sex and regional brain variations.

Cristina Sanfilippo, Paola Castrogiovanni, Rosa Imbesi, Michele Vecchio, Martina Sortino, Giuseppe Musumeci, Manlio Vinciguerra, Michelino Di Rosa

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Metabolic brain disease, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Emerging Role of Oligodendrocytes Malfunction in the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease.Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology · 2025
    Review
  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Cristina SanfilippoNeurologic Unit, AOU "Policlinico-San Marco", Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, GF, Ingrassia, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia n.78, Catania, 95100, Sicily, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7812-1564
Paola CastrogiovanniDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human Anatomy and Histology Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5873-2456
Rosa ImbesiDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human Anatomy and Histology Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4228-4163
Michele VecchioSection of Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5254-3283
Martina SortinoDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human Anatomy and Histology Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7874-9300
Giuseppe MusumeciDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human Anatomy and Histology Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8260-8890
Manlio VinciguerraDepartment of Translational Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute, Medical University Varna, Varna, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-1768-3894
Michelino Di RosaDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Human Anatomy and Histology Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. mdirosa@unict.it.ORCID 0000-0002-1837-9325

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

SERPINA3, a serine protease inhibitor, is strongly associated with neuroinflammation, a typical condition of AD. Its expression is linked to microglial and astrocytic markers, suggesting it plays a significant role in modulating neuroinflammatory responses. In this study, we examined the SERPINA3 expression levels, along with CHI3L1, in various brain regions of AD patients and non-demented healthy controls (NDHC). Nineteen microarray datasets were analyzed, with brain samples stratified by sex and age from areas including the prefrontal cortex, occipital lobe, and cerebellum. Results showed that SERPINA3 was significantly highly expressed in AD patients compared to NDHCs only in males. Sex-specific differences were observed only in NDHCs, where females had higher SERPINA3 levels than males. ROC analysis suggested that SERPINA3 could be a strong marker for distinguishing AD in males but not females. In NDHCs, SERPINA3 expression correlated more strongly with age than in AD patients. In brain regions, SERPINA3 expression in NDHC females was higher across multiple areas, while in AD patients, this difference was limited to the prefrontal cortex. The most significant differences between NDHC and AD patients were found in the occipital and prefrontal regions. Furthermore, we identified a potential nuclear localization for SERPINA3, supported by immunohistochemistry analysis from The Human Protein Atlas. Correlation with neuropathological traits, including Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Braak Neurofibrillary Tangle Score, showed positive significant associations between SERPINA3 and CDR in AD patients. Performing a docking analysis, we revealed an interaction region between SERPINA3 and CHI3L1 proteins, suggesting a potential role in AD. Tissue transcriptomic deconvolution analysis indicated a significant overlap between SERPINA3 expression and microglial/astrocytic signatures, suggesting that SERPINA3 plays a key role in modulating neuroinflammation in AD.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseBrainSerpinsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMicrogliaMiddle AgedNeuroinflammatory DiseasesSex CharacteristicsSex FactorsSERPINA3 protein, humanSerpinsAlzheimerCHI3L1MicrogliaTissue transcriptome deconvolution

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.