A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Associations of 18 F‐RO‐948 tau PET with fluid AD biomarkers, Centiloid, and cognition in early AD continuum



Authors: Shekari, Mahnaz; González Escalante, Armand; Milà‐Alomà, Marta; Falcon, Carles; López‐Martos, David; Sánchez‐Benavides, Gonzalo; Brugulat‐Serrat, Anna; Niñerola‐Baizán, Aida; Ashton, Nicholas J.; Karikari, Thomas K.; Lantero‐Rodriguez, Juan; Montoliu‐Gaya, Laia; Snellman, Anniina; Day, Theresa A.; Dage, Jeffrey L.; Ortiz‐Romero, Paula; Tonietto, Matteo; Borroni, Edilio; Klein, Gregory; Kollmorgen, Gwendlyn; Carboni, Margherita; Quijano‐Rubio, Clara; Vanmechelen, Eugeen; Minguillón, Carolina; Fauria, Karine; Perissinotti, Andrés; Molinuev,o José Luis; Zetterberg, Henrik; Blennow, Kaj; Grau‐Rivera, Oriol; Suárez‐Calvet, Marc; Gispert, Juan Domingo; ALFA Study

Publisher: Wiley

Publication year: 2026

Journal: Alzheimer's and Dementia

Article number: e71176

Volume: 22

Issue: 4

ISSN: 1552-5260

eISSN: 1552-5279

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71176

Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access

Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel

Web address : https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71176

Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523089120

Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY

Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF


Abstract
INTRODUCTION

We examined neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology using 18F-RO-948 tau positron emission tomography (PET) in cognitively unimpaired individuals and its associations with amyloid plaques, fluid biomarkers, and cognition in early preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODS

We analyzed 97 participants from the ALFA+ cohort with tau and amyloid PET, magnetic resonance imaging, fluid biomarkers (cerebrospinal fluid [CSF]/plasma), and cognitive data. Braak staging was applied, and correlations with biomarkers and cognitive measures were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic analyses evaluated biomarker performance in predicting tau PET positivity

RESULTS

CSF and plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (p-tau217) showed the strongest correlation with early Braak I/II tau PET signal (r = 0.58, and r = 0.37, respectively), while plasma p-tau181 and p-tau181/Aβ42 showed moderate associations (r ∼ 0.25). However, positive predictive values were low (PPV = 0.09–0.33).

DISCUSSION

18F-RO-948 PET detected early tau pathology in individuals with low to moderate amyloid load. Fluid biomarkers, especially in plasma, had limited predictive power but high negative predictive value, supporting their use in ruling out early tau pathology in preclinical AD.


Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.

Funding information in the publication: 
The ALFA+ study receives funding from “la Caixa” Foundation (project code LCF/PR/SC22/68000001), the Alzheimer's Association, and an international anonymous charity foundation through the TriBEKa Imaging Platform project (TriBEKa‑17‑519007). Additional support was received from the Universities and Research Secretariat, Ministry of Business and Knowledge of the Catalan government under grant 2021 SGR 00913. This study received financial support from F. Hoffmann-La Roche, under the project title “Tau imaging in the ALFA+ cohort study.” The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study, the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data, the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.


Last updated on 29/04/2026 02:50:23 PM