Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42188684›Full record

ArticleNeurology international2026

CSF Levels of Baseline VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 Are Associated with Tau Pathology in Patients Demonstrating Cognitive Impairment.

Manal Aljuhani, Azhaar Ashraf, Abdullah Alqarni, Mohammed S Alshuhri, Essam Mohammed Alkhybari, Amani Alharbi, Alanoud Almudayni, Fatmah Jamal Alablani, Ahmad A Alhulail

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Article in Neurology international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Manal AljuhaniDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0007-5094-7787
Azhaar AshrafDivision of Neurology, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.
Abdullah AlqarniDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-6142-497X
Mohammed S AlshuhriDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-9775-384X
Essam Mohammed AlkhybariDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia.
Amani AlharbiDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia.
Alanoud AlmudayniDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia.
Fatmah Jamal AlablaniDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad A AlhulailDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16278, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-6393-5415

Funding

Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University PSAU/2025/3/37092
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVascular dysfunction and neurovascular inflammation are increasingly recognized as contributors to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology, particularly through interactions with tau-related neurodegeneration. Endothelial adhesion molecules, including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), play key roles in blood-brain barrier regulation and immune-vascular crosstalk, yet their relevance to long-term disease progression and established AD biomarkers remains incompletely understood.

methodsUsing data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), we examined associations between baseline cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 and clinical progression, CSF biomarkers, neuroimaging measures, and cognitive outcomes over up to 10 years of follow-up. This study included 294 participants (87 cognitively normal, 129 with mild cognitive impairment, and 78 with AD). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations with diagnostic progression, and linear regression models examined relationships with baseline and longitudinal measures of tau, amyloid-β, hippocampal volume, Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) metabolism, and cognition. Models were adjusted for age, sex, apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE ε4) status, baseline diagnosis, and baseline CSF amyloid-β, with false discovery rate correction applied for multiple comparisons.

resultsBaseline CSF VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 levels did not differ across diagnostic groups. However, higher baseline levels of both markers were nominally associated with increased odds of disease progression. Notably, ICAM-1 showed a strong and robust association with baseline CSF phosphorylated tau, which remained significant after multiple-comparison correction. VCAM-1 was also associated with tau pathology, though this did not survive correction. Neither marker was associated with baseline or longitudinal changes in hippocampal volume, FDG-PET metabolism, or cognitive performance.

conclusionCSF VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 appear to reflect neurovascular inflammatory processes linked to tau pathology rather than markers of clinical stage or longitudinal neurodegeneration. These findings support a role for endothelial activation in AD pathophysiology and highlight vascular-immune mechanisms as potential contributors to tau-related disease vulnerability.

Indexed as

ADAβCSFICAM-1tauVCAM-1

Identifiers

PMID42188684
PMCPMC13210058

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