Introduction
The bridging integrator 1(
BIN1)
rs744373 risk polymorphism has been linked to increased [
18
F]AV1451 signal in non‐demented older adults (ie., mild cognitive impairment [MCI] plus cognitively normal [CN] individuals). However, the association of
BIN1
with in vivo tau, amyloid beta (Aβ) burden, and cognitive impairment in the asymptomatic stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unknown.
Methods
The
BIN1
effect on [
18
F]AV1451 binding was evaluated in 59 cognitively normal (CN) participants (39% apolipoprotein E [
APOE
ε4]) from the Flemish Prevent AD Cohort KU Leuven (F‐PACK), as well as in 66 Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) CN participants, using voxelwise and regional statistics. For comparison, 52 MCI patients from ADNI were also studied.
Results
Forty‐four percent of F‐PACK participants were
BIN1
rs744373 risk‐allele carriers, 21% showed high amyloid burden, and 8% had elevated [
18
F]AV1451 binding. In ADNI, 53% and 50% of CNs and MCIs, respectively, carried the
BIN1
rs744373 risk‐allele. Amyloid positivity was present in 23% of CNs and 51% of MCIs, whereas 2% of CNs and 35% of MCIs showed elevated [
18
F]AV1451 binding. There was no significant effect of
BIN1
on voxelwise or regional [
18
F]AV1451 in F‐PACK or ADNI CNs, or in the pooled CN sample. No significant association between
BIN1
and [
18
F]AV1451 was obtained in ADNI MCI patients. However, in the MCI group, numerically higher [
18
F]AV1451 binding was observed in the
BIN1
risk‐allele group compared to the
BIN1
normal group in regions corresponding to more progressed tau pathology.
Discussion
We could not confirm the association between
BIN1
rs744373 risk‐allele and elevated [
18
F]AV1451 signal in CN older adults or MCI. Numerically higher [
18
F]AV1451 binding was observed, however, in the MCI
BIN1
risk‐allele group, indicating that the previously reported positive effect may be confounded by group. Therefore, when studying how the
BIN1
risk polymorphism influences AD pathogenesis, a distinction should be made between asymptomatic, MCI, and dementia stages of AD.