Characterizing plasma NfL in a community‐dwelling multi‐ethnic cohort: Results from the HABLE study

INTRODUCTION: No large‐scale characterizations of neurofilament light chain (NfL) have been conducted in diverse populations. METHODS: Baseline data were analyzed among n = 890 Mexican Americans and n = 813 non‐Hispanic Whites from the multi‐ethnic Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study. Plasma NfL was measured on the Simoa platform. RESULTS: In unadjusted models, NfL was significantly associated with age (P < .001), hypertension (P < .001), dyslipidemia (P = .02), and diabetes (P < .001). Covarying for age and sex, NfL was associated with neurodegeneration (P < .001) and global amyloid burden levels (P = .02) in a subset with available data. NfL levels were significantly associated with diagnostic groups (Normal Cognition [NC], mild cognitive impairment [MCI], Dementia; P < .001); however, there was no cut‐score that yielded acceptable diagnostic accuracy. NfL levels produced a sensitivity of 0.60 and specificity of 0.78 with negative predictive value of 89% for detecting amyloid positivity. DISCUSSION: Plasma NfL levels are significantly impacted by age and medical co‐morbidities that are common among older adults, which complicate its utility as a diagnostic biomarker