Blood CDKN2A Gene Expression in Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases

BACKGROUND: Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) is an important gene in cellular senescence and aging. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the utility of blood CDKN2A mRNA expression levels and methylation status as a potential biomarker for aging and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). METHODS: The correlation between CDKN2A mRNA expression levels and age was examined in 45 healthy subjects, after which mRNA expression levels were compared among 46 AD patients, 20 mild cognitive impairment due to AD patients, 21 Parkinson’s disease patients, 21 dementia with Lewy bodies patients, and 55 older healthy controls. The methylation rates of the second exon of the CDKN2A gene, known to influence its expression levels, was also examined. RESULTS: A significant correlation between CDKN2A mRNA expression levels and age was found (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient: r = 0.407, p = 0.005). CDKN2A mRNA expression levels in blood were significantly decreased in AD patients, although those of healthy controls were significantly increased with age. Further, only in AD patients were CDKN2A mRNA expression levels significantly and positively correlated with methylation rates. CONCLUSION: Although further research with a larger sample size is needed to elucidate the relationships between CDKN2A gene expression in blood and the development of other neurodegenerative diseases, CDKN2A mRNA expression in blood may be a biomarker for differentiating AD from normal aging and other neurodegenerative diseases.