Interleukin-6 Levels in Nasal Secretion as a Potential Diagnostic Tool for Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating condition affecting millions worldwide, and early detection is crucial for effective treatment and management. Due to the cluster of amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the neurons in the brain begin to undergo gradual and irreversible neuronal loss. This is why early detection of AD is crucial for effectively treating and managing the disease. However, the current diagnostic methods, such as imaging scans, are not always accessible and affordable and cannot be diagnosed early on. This study investigated the potential of nasal secretion as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for AD. The study employed two assays, Bicinchoninic acid (BCA) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), to measure protein and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in nasal secretion samples. Blood samples were also collected to serve as a comparison tool. The findings suggest that nasal secretion may be a promising diagnostic tool for AD, with elevated levels of IL-6 found in the nasal secretion of mice with AD-like pathology. The total interleukin-6 concentration in Alzheimer’s disease mice was between 0.1367 pg/mL and 0.14233 pg/mL, compared to the nasal secretion in the healthy mice cohort between 0.094 pg/mL and 0.11 pg/mL. The study contributes to the research on the IL-6 biomarker in AD. It shows that utilizing nasal secretion as a diagnostic tool could allow for early detection and improved quality of life for patients. Future research should investigate the accuracy of nasal secretion as a diagnostic tool and compare it to other current methods.