Plasma Biomarker Association with Cognition in Uganda
Jeremy A. Tanner, Roslyn Valdespino, Tiffany F. Kautz, Godfrey Masette, Gabrielle Hromas, Chen‐Pin Wang, Jayandra Jung Himali, Robert Paul, Noeline Nakasujja, Zahra Reynolds, Flavia Atwine, Edna Tindimwebwa, Meredith Greene, Eliza Passell, Christine S Ritchie, Susanne S Hoeppner

TL;DR
This study explores how plasma biomarkers relate to cognitive function in Uganda, including people living with HIV, and finds that NfL and GFAP are linked to cognitive impairment.
Contribution
The study is the first to evaluate plasma ADRD biomarkers in a Ugandan cohort, including people living with HIV, in low-resource settings.
Findings
Elevated plasma NfL was associated with worse overall cognition and specific cognitive domains.
Elevated plasma GFAP was linked to worse executive function and higher odds of cognitive impairment.
Plasma p-tau217 and Aβ42/40 were not associated with cognitive outcomes in this cohort.
Abstract
Over 60% of individuals with ADRDs live in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) is projected to have the fastest growth in older adults, including people living with HIV (PLWH). Plasma ADRD biomarkers are promising diagnostic tools, but studies have been limited to the Global North. We evaluated the association of plasma ADRD biomarkers with cognition in the Uganda Aging Cohort Study (UACS), a prospective cohort of PLWH on antiretroviral therapy and demographically similar HIV‐uninfected individuals recruited via population‐sampling approaches. Blood samples were collected in EDTA tubes, centrifuged, aliquoted, and frozen at ‐80°C at semi‐urban (n = 320) and rural (n = 330) sites. Plasma was shipped to the UTHSA Biggs Laboratory. p‐tau217, Aβ42/40, and p‐tau217/Aβ42 were measured on Fujirebio Lumipulse, and GFAP and NfL on Quanterix Simoa. Rural site…
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Taxonomy
TopicsHIV Research and Treatment · HIV-related health complications and treatments · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
