Evaluation of the Serum Dkk-1, Tenascin-C, Oxidative Stress Markers Levels and Wnt Signaling Pathway Genes Expression in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using potential biomarkers may help with implementing early therapeutic interventions, monitoring, and ultimately disease treatment. The current study aimed to evaluate serum levels of Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1), Tenascin- C (TNC), and oxidative stress markers, as well as analyzing the expression of LDL Receptor Related Protein 6 (LRP6), Glycogen synthase kinase-3 alpha (GSK3A), and Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3B) genes in patients with AD. Methods: Serum levels of DKK-1, TNC, Total oxidant status (TOS), Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and Malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in 40 AD patients and 40 healthy individuals. Additionally, the relative expressions of LRP6, GSK3A, and GSK3B genes in whole blood were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to investigate the incremental diagnostic value of each factor in the study groups. Results: Mean serum levels of DKK-1, TNC, TOS, TAC, and MDA were significantly higher in the AD group compared to the healthy group (p < 0.001). Moreover, a significant difference was observed in the expression of LRP6 and GSK3A genes (p < 0.001) between patients and healthy groups. However, the expression of GSK3B did not significantly differ between the two groups (p > 0.05).