Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42351234›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's research & therapy2026

Age-dependent diagnostic and correlational architecture of multiplex plasma biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease: a cross-ethnic, cross-platform validation study.

Boru Jin, Aitong Li, Fengling Xu, Cong Chen, Jiawen Dong, Jingjing Wang, Dantong Tang, Ying Gu, Huayan Liu

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Boru Jin *Department of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Aitong Li *Department of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Fengling XuDepartment of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Cong ChenDepartment of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Jiawen DongDepartment of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Jingjing WangDepartment of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Dantong TangDepartment of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Ying GuDepartment of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. guying0324@126.com.
Huayan LiuDepartment of Neurology, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. liuhuayancmu@163.com.

Funding

Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative - SupplementU01AG024904 · NIA · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE RES &EDUC · PI WEINER, MICHAEL W · 2004 to 2015
$121.0M
Doctoral Start-up Foundation of Liaoning Province 2024-BS-038Joint Program of Science and Technology Plan of Liaoning Province 2024JH2/102600308NIA NIH HHS U01 AG024904
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPlasma phosphorylated tau-217 (p-tau217) is one of the most accurate blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet whether its diagnostic and correlational properties vary with age at onset has not been systematically examined.

methodsWe measured eight plasma biomarkers (tau, amyloid, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation) via automated chemiluminescence immunoassay in a Chinese memory clinic cohort (n = 604; amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) reference), with validation in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) (n = 1,615; amyloid and tau PET). Diagnostic accuracy and biomarker-clinical correlations were compared between early-onset (EO < 65 years) and late-onset (LO ≥ 65 years) subgroups.

resultsOverall accuracy was high (primary area under the curve (AUC) 0.923; ADNI 0.904). In ADNI, p-tau217 showed higher accuracy in EO than LO (AUC 0.940 vs 0.892, P = 0.012), most pronounced at age 60 and absent by 70. The optimal biomarker shifted from tau-centric markers in LO to Aβ42/Aβ40 in EO. Tau biomarker-clinical correlations diverged sharply by onset age and were stronger in EO for cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes, whereas glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) showed no age-dependent heterogeneity. Opposing-direction associations were observed for p-tau217%, which correlated negatively with onset age in AD but positively in Non-AD cognitive impairment. In an exploratory analysis, baseline p-tau217 was associated with longitudinal cognitive decline, numerically greater in EO though based on a small subgroup. Cross-ethnic generalizability was supported by the ADNI-Asian subgroup.

conclusionsThis cross-ethnic, cross-platform study demonstrates that the diagnostic accuracy, biomarker-clinical correlation architecture, and optimal analyte selection of plasma p-tau217 vary systematically with age at onset, most markedly for tau-related measures. These findings challenge universal threshold paradigms and support age-stratified biomarker interpretation in clinical practice and therapeutic trial design.

Indexed as

Alzheimer Diseasetau ProteinsAgedAged, 80 and overAge of OnsetAmyloid beta-PeptidesBiomarkersCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPositron-Emission TomographyAmyloid beta-PeptidesBiomarkerstau ProteinsADNIAge-stratifiedAlzheimer’s diseaseBiomarker–clinical correlationCross-ethnic validationDiagnostic accuracyEarly-onsetLate-onsetMultiplex immunoassayPlasma p-tau217

Identifiers

PMID42351234
PMCPMC13393608

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