Lumbar puncture increases Alzheimer’s disease biomarker levels in cerebrospinal fluid of rhesus monkeys

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples are commonly collected via lumbar puncture (LP) in both clinical and research settings for measurement of biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To determine the effects of LP on CSF AD biomarkers, we collected CSF samples at seven different time points after an LP in rhesus monkeys. We find that amyloid-beta (Aβ) and Tau levels increased significantly on day 1, peaked on day 3, and returned to baseline on day 10 after LP. The NFL levels increased significantly on day 5, peaked on day 10, and returned to baseline after day 30. The increased AD biomarker levels were mainly due to CSF outflow and deep intrathecal invasion during LP. Therefore, if LPs are repeated within a short period of time, prior LP can affect Aβ and Tau levels within 10 days and NFL levels within 30 days, which may lead to clinical misdiagnosis or incorrect scientific conclusions. [Display omitted] •LP can lead to rapid and significant increase of CSF AD biomarker levels in monkeys•LP affects Aβ and Tau levels up to 10 days and NFL levels more than 30 days•The effects might be attributed to CSF outflow and deep intrathecal invasion•Clinical diagnosis or research results with repeated LP need to be cautious Molecular medicine; Molecular neuroscience