Takeaway
Urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) may be helpful in diagnosing patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).
Why this matters
MCP-1 is a chemokine found in the urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that could potentially indicate the presence of AD-related neuroinflammation and neuronal degeneration.
Previous studies have linked elevated MCP-1 in the CSF to a diagnosis of AD, however this has not yet been tested in the urine. Availability of a urine test would greatly facilitate the process of diagnosing of AD, especially in elderly populations.