Reference Center for Biological Markers of Memory Disorders

A promising approach to increase the diagnostic accuracy for dementia diagnosis is the use of biochemical markers (biomarkers) that are present in easily accessible body fluids like serum, plasma or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Within the Reference Center for Biological Markers of Memory Disorders, we contribute to the development and characterization of biomarkers, meanwhile developing and validating biomarkers-based diagnostic models that can easily be applied in routine clinical diagnosis.
Indeed, several studies have confirmed the relevance of total tau-protein (T-tau) and β-amyloid peptide (Aβ_1-42) in the pathogenic processes associated with dementias of neurodegenerative origin.
The combined assessment of CSF A β42, T-tau, and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (P-tau_181P) levels is routinely performed by means of commercially available ELISA kits and was demonstrated to have added diagnostic value for AD diagnosis and to increase specificity for discriminating AD from other (degenerative) dementias. Should you wish to send future CSF samples for biomarker analyses, please fill out the request form. It is moreover important to pay attention to the following guidelines in order to ensure reliable biomarker results (see as well Technical directions and forms):

• Please sample CSF in polypropylene vials

• Minimal sample volume: 2 ml

• CSF samples that are macroscopically hemorrhagic, should be excluded

• Avoid freeze-thaw cycles:

• In case the samples are shipped at room temperature, it should arrive at the lab within 24 hours

• In case the samples are frozen, they should be shipped on dry ice

Please inform your patients that the cost price for these analyses is €165, which is not covered by the regular Belgian insurance companies (refunding is however provided by some supplementary hospitalization insurances).

Prof. Dr. P.P. De Deyn, director	Prof. Dr. S. Engelborghs, coordinator
mail prof. De Deyn	mail prof. Engelborghs
Tel: +32 3 265 26 17 Fax: +32 3 265 26 18	Tel: +32 3 265 23 94 Fax: +32 3 265 26 18
Reference Center for Biological Markers of Memory Disorders Institute Born-Bunge / University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 BE-2610 Antwerp

References

S. Engelborghs, K. Sleegers, P. Cras, N. Brouwers, S. Serneels, E. De Leenheir, J.-J. Martin, E. Vanmechelen, C. Van Broeckhoven, P.P. De Deyn. No association of CSF biomarkers with APOE e4, plaque and tangle burden in definite Alzheimer´s disease. Brain 2007, 130: 2320-2326.	pdf
S. Engelborghs, K. De Vreese, T. Van de Casteele, H. Vanderstichele, B. Van Everbroeck, P. Cras, J.J. Martin, E. Vanmechelen, P.P. De Deyn. Diagnostic performance of a CSF-biomarker panel in autopsy-confirmed dementia. Neurobiology of Aging 2008, 29: 1143-1159.	pdf
N. Le Bastard, J.-J. Martin, E. Vanmechelen, H. Vanderstichele, P.P. De Deyn, S. Engelborghs. Added diagnostic value of CSF biomarkers in differential dementia diagnosis. Neurobiology of Aging 2009, doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.10.017.	pdf

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