Increased tau in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of tau protein were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which measures both normal and hyperp hosphorylated tau. Levels of CSF tau were measured in 17 patients with Alzh eimer's disease and 23 patients with frontotemporal dementia, and were comp ared to age-matched healthy controls. The CSF tau concentration in control subjects was 198 +/- 49 pg/ml and no relationship was found between age and CSF tau concentrations in these subjects. CSF tau concentrations were sign ificantly raised in patients with both Alzheimer's disease and frontotempor al dementia when compared to healthy controls (802 +/- 381 pg/ml, P < 0.001 ; 612 +/- 382 pg/ml, P < 0.05, respectively). In neither disease did CSF ta u correlate with disease severity as assessed by the Mini Mental State Exam ination score (MMSE), This study shows that CSF tau is significantly raised in patients with frontotemporal dementia. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Irelan d Ltd. All rights reserved.