Abstract
Introduction: Clinical suspicion of a disease with dementia first described by Alzheimer and Fischer can be supported by changes in concentrations of three proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid: an increase in total tau and phosphorylated tau proteins and a decrease in beta-amyloid (so-called cerebrospinal fluid triplet). The aim of this research was to determine normal concentrations and compare them with levels in patients with Alzheimer-Fischer disease and other dementias.
Patients and methods: We measured concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid triplet in the laboratory of the AD Center using Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay in 65 neurological patients without cognitive deficit (controls) [Mini-Mental State Examination, median and interquartile range: 29 (28-29) points] and 34 patients with Alzheimer-Fischer disease according to NINCDS -ADRDA criteria [Mini-Mental State Examination 21 (18-23) points]. Cut-off concentrations were determined using an analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves to achieve maximum sensitivity as well as specificity.