Serum Metabolites Associate with Brain Amyloid Beta Deposition, Cognitive Dysfunction, and Alzheimers Disease Progression

RATIONALEMetabolomics in the Alzheimers Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort provides a powerful tool for mapping biochemical changes in AD, and a unique opportunity to learn about the association between circulating blood metabolites and brain amyloid-{beta} deposition in AD. OBJECTIVESWe examined 140 serum metabolites and their associations with brain amyloid-{beta} deposition, cognition, and conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD. FINDINGSSerum-based targeted metabolite levels were measured in 1,531 ADNI participants. We performed association analysis of metabolites with brain amyloid-{beta} deposition measured from [18F] Florbetapir PET scans. We identified nine metabolites as significantly associated with amyloid-{beta} deposition after FDR-based multiple comparison correction. Higher levels of one acylcarnitine (C3; propionylcarnitine) and one biogenic amine (kynurenine) were associated with decreased amyloid-{beta} accumulation. However, higher levels of seven phosphatidylcholines (PC) were associated with increased amyloid deposition. In addition, PC ae C44:4 was significantly associated with cognition and conversion from MCI to AD dementia. CONCLUSIONPerturbations in PC and acylcarnitine metabolism may play a role in features intrinsic to AD including amyloid-{beta} deposition and cognitive performance.