Recommendations for cerebrospinal fluid collection for the analysis by ELISA of neurogranin trunc P75, α-synuclein, and total tau in combination with Aβ(1–42)/Aβ(1–40)

Background The pathophysiology of neurodegeneration is complex. Its diagnosis requires an early identification of sequential changes in several hallmarks in the brains of affected subjects. The presence of brain pathology can be visualized in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by protein profiling. It is clear that the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will benefit from an integration of algorithms including CSF concentrations of individual proteins, especially as an aid in clinical decision-making or to improve patient enrolment in clinical trials. The protein profiling approach requires standard operating procedures for collection and storage of CSF which must be easy to integrate into a routine clinical lab environment. Our study provides recommendations for analysis of neurogranin trunc P75, α-synuclein, and tau, in combination with the ratio of β-amyloid Aβ(1–42)/Aβ(1–40). Methods Protocols for CSF collection were compared with CSF derived from subjects with normal pressure hydrocephalus (n = 19). Variables included recipient type (collection, storage), tube volume, and addition of detergents at the time of collection. CSF biomarker analysis was performed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Data were analyzed with linear repeated measures and mixed effects models. Results Adsorption to recipients is lower for neurogranin trunc P75, α-synuclein, and tau (