Six academic EADC centres recruited 49 subjects (healthy controls, subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD). We measured CSF β-amyloid 42 (CSF Aβ42), total tau-protein (t-tau), phosphorylated tau-proteins (P-tau181, P-tau231), plasma β-amyloid 40 and 42 (Aβ40/Aβ42). Immediate fresh shipment was compared to freezing and later shipment on dry ice.
CSF T-tau (fresh samples) was increased in AD versus controls (p = 0.049), CSF Aβ42 (frozen samples) was decreased in MCI and AD (p = 0.02), as well as plasma Aβ40 (fresh and frozen samples) in AD (p = 0.049 and p = 0.016). Pooled values of neurochemical parameters and ratios thereof were different between centres (p < 0.005). Analysis of frozen samples yielded higher diagnostic accuracy than immediate fresh shipment with 100 % (fresh: 100 % ) correctly classified in control subjects, 100 % (78 % ) in MCI, 91 % (91 % ) in AD.
The use of frozen rather than fresh samples renders higher diagnostic accuracy within a multicentre context. We confirmed the feasibility of a multicentre AD biomarker programme for future clinical trials.