Kallikrein-Related Peptidases 6 and 10 Are Elevated in Cerebrospinal Fluid
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Goldhardt et al. Translational Neurodegeneration (2019) 8:25 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40035-019-0168-6 RESEARCH Open Access Kallikrein-related peptidases 6 and 10 are elevated in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and associated with CSF-TAU and FDG-PET Oliver Goldhardt1* , Inanna Warnhoff1, Igor Yakushev2, Ilijana Begcevic5, Hans Förstl1, Viktor Magdolen3, Antoninus Soosaipillai4, Eleftherios Diamandis4,5, Panagiotis Alexopoulos1,6 and Timo Grimmer1 Abstract Background: Alterations in the expression of human kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) have been described in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We elucidated the suitability of KLK6, KLK8 and KLK10 to distinguish AD from NC and explored associations with established AD biomarkers. Methods: KLK levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as determined by ELISA, were compared between 32 AD patients stratified to A/T/(N) system with evidence for amyloid pathology and of 23 normal controls with normal AD biomarkers. Associations between KLK levels and clinical severity, CSF and positron emission tomography (PET) based AD biomarkers were tested for. Results: Levels of KLK6 and KLK10 were significantly increased in AD. KLK6 differed significantly between AD A+/T+/N+ and AD A+/T−/N+ or NC with an AUC of 0.922. CSF pTau and tTau levels were significantly associated with KLK6 in AD. Conclusions: KLK6 deserves further investigations as a potential biomarker of Tau pathology in AD. Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Kallikrein-like peptidase (KLK),KLK6,KLK8,KLK10,Cerebralamyloidload, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), Amyloid 1–42; Aβ1–42; Aβ42,Tauprotein,Totaltau,tTau,Phosphotau,pTau,Positronemission tomography (PET) Background cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) [4]. Aβ accumulation can be In sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) impaired cerebral measured by [11C]PiB (Pittsburgh Compound B)-PET amyloid clearance is considered to drive amyloid (Aβ)ac- ([C11]PiB-PET) [5] and impaired amyloid clearance by de- cumulation [1] which results in pathognomonic Aβ plaque creased concentration of Aβ42 in the CSF [4]. formation [2]. Aβ initiates a pathophysiological cascade Kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) constitute a fam- including neuronal injury. Accumulative neuronal injury ily of 15 highly conserved trypsin- or chymotrypsin-like can be indicated by AD imaging biomarkers such as hypo- serine proteases [6] displaying various functions. All metabolism by [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-position emission KLK genes are located on chromosome 19q13.4, in a tomography ([18F]FDG-PET) [3]. Current rate of cell region that has been associated with familiar AD [7]. death can be determined by elevated levels of the KLK1, 4–8, 10, 11, 13 and 14 are expressed in the cortex intracellular, microtubule originated total tau (tTau) and as well as in the hippocampus [8, 9]. KLKs might also tau pathology by phosphorylated tau (pTau) in the play a role in the pathophysiology of sporadic AD [10]. * Correspondence: [email protected] KLK6 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, KLK6 was detected outside the brain in the serum, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany nipple aspirate fluid, breast cyst fluid, seminal plasma, Full list of author information is available at the end of the article amniotic fluid and breast cancer cytosols [11]. However, © The Author(s). 2019 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Goldhardt et al. Translational Neurodegeneration (2019) 8:25 Page 2 of 13 the highest expression of KLK6 in humans is observed BBB via increased concentrations of the Aβ efflux in the central nervous system [8]. KLK6 is strongly transporter lipoprotein-receptor related protein 1 (LRP1), expressed in the luminal cells lining the choroid plexus increased Aβ phagocytosis, and counteracts tau hyperpho- [12], in the grey matter of the brain and in peripheral sphorylation via downstream effects on GSK3β [30]. The nerves [13]. KLK6 is predominantly expressed in oligo- impact of KLK8 on the neurovascular function to trans- dendrocytes, pyramidal cells and astrocytes. It can be port Aβ over the BBB can be measured in the blood in found in certain neuroendocrine cells [14] and in the mice [30] and potentially in the CSF. endothelial cells of cerebral vessels. The latter suggests These associations have not been shown in humans its involvement in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) [15]. with AD, but KLK8 mRNA expression is increased in KLK6 can cleave components of the BBB and can induce the mural and human hippocampus in comparison to inflammation [16]. In non-injured CNS, KLK6 immuno- NC [9], and KLK8 levels are increased in hippocampal reactivity is mainly found in oligodendroglia and brain extracts patients with AD and in the brain of neurons [17], while KLK6 is induced in astrocytes with healthy woman compared to men [31]. neuronal injury [18]. In neurons, it is released from mitochondria into the cytoplasm due to various cellular KLK10 stress and processes alpha-synuclein in Lewy-body KLK10 is expressed by glandular epithelia, e. g. in the disease [19]. kidney and in the gastrointestinal tract, and by the KLK6 appears to exhibit an anti-amyloidogenic poten- choroid plexus epithelium, by peripheral nerves, and by tial [20] and has been linked to AD: in extracts of differ- certain neuroendocrine organs [32]. Whereas KLK10 ent brain regions of patients with AD, KLK6 levels are RNA expression in the hippocampus did not differ lower as compared to controls [21, 22], KLK6 mRNA significantly between AD patients and NC [9], in CSF in levels are decreased in the hippocampus as well [9]. In AD, the protein levels were found to be decreased in blood, current results are conflicting: one study did not frontotemporal dementia (FTD) [33]. detect any significant difference in KLK6 levels in the Inflammation appears to be a common factor for alter- serum of AD patients as compared to cognitively normal ations of KLKs levels in AD, cancer and other diseases control (NC) [23], whereas in another study a striking [34] as well as inflammation appears to be a pathogen- 10-fold increase in the blood was reported [12]. In the etic factor among several neurological diseases [35]. cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), KLK6 levels were increased in In AD, KLKs can be hypothesized to either be directly histopathologically confirmed AD patients (n = 10) of involved in amyloid accumulation or indirectly in im- undisclosed clinical severity compared to controls (n = munological processes caused by or leading to amyloid 10) [12]. In another study, CSF KLK6 levels did not pathology. In the current work, we aimed at testing differ neither between subjective cognitive impairment whether KLK6, KLK8 and KLK10 levels in CSF are able (n = 43) and AD (n = 43), nor between clinically diag- to differentiate between AD patients with positive AD nosed normal controls (n = 58) and clinically diagnosed biomarkers and NC, and whether KLKs are associated AD (n = 28) or clinically diagnosed progressive mild with the established AD biomarkers. cognitive impairment (MCI) (n = 28) [24]. KLK8 Methods KLK8 is a synaptic, plasticity-modulating extracellular Patient recruitment, inclusion and exclusion criteria serine protease [21]. KLK8 cleaves the epinephrine Patients were selected in the Centre for Cognitive receptor B2 (EPHB2) that is involved in mechanisms of Disorders, an out-patient clinic of the Department of neuronal plasticity [25]. Upregulation of EPHB2 leads to Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the Technical improved cognition [26] and less hyperphosphorylated University of Munich. Study participants had been tau in vitro and in hippocampus in human tau trans- referred for the evaluation of cognitive impairment by genic mice [27]. In the hippocampus of AD patients general practitioners, neurologists, psychiatrists or and mice transgenic for human amyloid precursor pro- other institutions, and had undergone a standardized tein (hAPP), KLK8 is upregulated and EPHB2 decreased diagnostic procedure with a detailed somatic, neuro- [28, 29]. In transgenic AD mice, KLK8 is increased in logic and psychiatric examination, as well as extensive early disease stages (before measurable behavior abnor- neuropsychological testing, including the Mini-Mental malities occur) as compared to wildtype mice [30]. State Examination (MMSE) [36]. To estimate clinical Furthermore, in mice, inhibition of KLK8 with anti- severity, the Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR) KLK8-antibodies leads to enhanced structural neuroplasti- [37] was assessed, and the global score (global CDR) city, improved cognition, reduced Aβ concentrations in and the quantitative score of CDR subcategories the frontal cortex, improved amyloid clearance over the (CDR-sum of boxes, CDR-SOB) [38] were calculated. Goldhardt et al. Translational Neurodegeneration (2019) 8:25 Page 3 of 13 Patients had to score ≥ 0.5 on global CDR to be the primary sensomotor cortex on visual inspection at considered