Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain as a Complementary Biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea.
- 2Neuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon 21565, Republic of Korea.
- 3Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
- 4Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline and memory loss, ultimately leading to a loss of independence and reduced quality of life. As current treatments are most effective in the early stages, reliable blood-based biomarkers are required for early diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring, and disease staging. Plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of neuroaxonal injury, is a candidate biomarker; its value relative to established amyloid- and tau-based biomarkers is unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing plasma NfL with Aβ42, Aβ40, the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, and p-tau217 across cognitively normal (control, Con), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD groups was conducted. Fourteen studies that met specific criteria were included. Plasma NfL and p-tau217 increased across disease stages. Aβ42 and Aβ42/Aβ40 were lower in AD/MCI than in Con; Aβ40 was similar across groups. Heterogeneity (I² < 99%) was observed across biomarkers. Plasma NfL reliably reflected neuroaxonal injury and disease severity from the earliest clinically detectable stage of AD. Plasma NfL may be most valuable when combined with p-tau217/Aβ-based assays to provide a more comprehensive, blood-based assessment of both AD-specific pathology and neurodegeneration. Further studies are needed to validate its prognostic utility and establish clinically applicable cut-off values.
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BibTeX
@article{kim2026plasma,
title = {{Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain as a Complementary Biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.}},
author = {Ka Young Kim and Ki Young Shin and Keun-A Chang},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27198574},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883821},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain as a Complementary Biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
AU - Ka Young Kim
AU - Ki Young Shin
AU - Keun-A Chang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/25
JO - International journal of molecular sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27198574
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883821
AB - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline and memory loss, ultimately leading to a loss of independence and reduced quality of life. As current treatments are most effective in the early stages, reliable blood-based biomarkers are required for early diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring, and disease staging. Plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of neuroaxonal injury, is a candidate biomarker; its value relative to established amyloid- and tau-based biomarkers is unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing plasma NfL with Aβ42, Aβ40, the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, and p-tau217 across cognitively normal (control, Con), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD groups was conducted. Fourteen studies that met specific criteria were included. Plasma NfL and p-tau217 increased across disease stages. Aβ42 and Aβ42/Aβ40 were lower in AD/MCI than in Con; Aβ40 was similar across groups. Heterogeneity (I² < 99%) was observed across biomarkers. Plasma NfL reliably reflected neuroaxonal injury and disease severity from the earliest clinically detectable stage of AD. Plasma NfL may be most valuable when combined with p-tau217/Aβ-based assays to provide a more comprehensive, blood-based assessment of both AD-specific pathology and neurodegeneration. Further studies are needed to validate its prognostic utility and establish clinically applicable cut-off values.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -