Background: Overexpression of the mitochondrial enzyme 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 10 (17 beta-HSD10, which is also known as the intracellular amyloid-beta peptide (A beta) binding protein) is observed in cortical or hippocampal regions of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). It appears that 17 beta-HSD10 may play a role in the pathogenesis of AD.
Objective: We investigated the possibility that levels of 17 beta-HSD10 in cerebrospinal fluid could be a prospective biomarker of AD. Methods: We estimated the enzyme levels in 161 people (15 non-demented controls, 52 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 35 people with probable AD, or 59 people with other types of dementia) and compared them with those of A beta(1-42), tau, and phospho-tau.
Results: We found significantly higher levels of 17 beta-HSD10 in people with MCI due to AD (to 109.9%), with AD (to 120.0%), or with other types of dementia (to 110.9%) when compared to the control group. The sensitivity of the new biomarker to AD was 80.0%, and the specificity was 73.3% (compared to controls) or 52.5-59.1% (compared to other types of dementia).
Results of multiple linear regression and of correlation analysis revealed AD-mediated changes in links between 17 beta-HSD10 and Mini Mental State Examination score. Conclusion: It seems that changes in 17 beta-HSD10 start many years before symptom onset, analogous to those in A beta(1-42), tau, or phospho-tau and that the levels are a relatively highly sensitive but unfortunately less specific biomarker of AD.
A role of 17 beta-HSD10 overexpression in AD is discussed.