CSF ferritin predicts CSF Aβ decline in biomarker-determined Alzheimer’s disease

This  JNNP paper by an excellent team of investigators1 has built on many years of study that has shown loss of iron homeostasis in brain of persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). As the authors pointed out, iron has been identified with amyloid plaques and has been suggested to promote neurodegenerative processes through inflammation and generation of oxidative stress.2 There is also a considerable literature on  amyloid precursor protein (APP) and iron handling in the brain including the presence of an iron-responsive element on the APP messenger RNA.3 Therefore, iron is clearly implicated in AD pathology and pathogenic processes. Using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ferritin as a surrogate …