Characterizing plasma NfL in a community‐dwelling multi‐ethnic cohort: Results from the HABLE study
Sid E. O’Bryant, Melissa Petersen, James Hall, Leigh Johnson, Kristine Yaffe, Meredith N. Braskie, Arthur W. Toga, Robert A. Rissman, for the HABLE study team
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: No large-scale characterizations of neurofilament light chain (NfL) have been conducted in diverse populations. METHODS: Baseline data were analyzed among n = 890 Mexican Americans and n = 813 non-Hispanic Whites from the multi-ethnic Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study. Plasma NfL was measured on the Simoa platform. RESULTS: In unadjusted models, NfL was significantly associated with age (P < .001), hypertension (P < .001), dyslipidemia (P = .02), and diabetes (P < .001). Covarying for age and sex, NfL was associated with neurodegeneration (P < .001) and global amyloid burden levels (P = .02) in a subset with available data. NfL levels were significantly associated with diagnostic groups (Normal Cognition [NC], mild cognitive impairment [MCI], Dementia; P < .001); however, there was no cut-score that yielded acceptable diagnostic accuracy. NfL levels produced a sensitivity of 0.60 and specificity of 0.78 with negative predictive value of 89% for detecting amyloid positivity. DISCUSSION: Plasma NfL levels are significantly impacted by age and medical co-morbidities that are common among older adults, which complicate its utility as a diagnostic biomarker.