Cell-type-specific Alzheimer's disease polygenic risk scores are associated with distinct disease processes in Alzheimer's disease

Hyun‐Sik Yang; Ling Teng; Daniel Kang; Vilas Menon; Tian Ge; Hilary K. Finucane; Aaron P. Schultz; Michael J Properzi; Hans‐Ulrich Klein; Lori Beth Chibnik; Julie A. Schneider; David Alan Bennett; Timothy J. Hohman; Richard P Mayeux; Keith A. Johnson; Philip L. De Jager; Reisa Anne Sperling

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43132-2

Genetic & Genomic MedicineNature CommunicationsNov 30, 2023

Peer-reviewed journal article

Cell-type-specific Alzheimer's disease polygenic risk scores are associated with distinct disease processes in Alzheimer's disease

Hyun‐Sik Yang iD, Ling Teng, Daniel Kang, Vilas Menon iD, Tian Ge iD, Hilary K. Finucane iD, Aaron P. Schultz iD, Michael J Properzi iD, Hans‐Ulrich Klein iD, Lori Beth Chibnik iD, Julie A. Schneider iD, David Alan Bennett iD, Timothy J. Hohman iD, Richard P Mayeux iD, Keith A. Johnson iD, Philip L. De Jager iD, Reisa Anne Sperling iD

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Abstract

Alzheimers disease (AD) heritability is enriched in glial genes, but how and when cell-type-specific genetic risk contributes to AD remains unclear. Here, we derive cell-type-specific AD polygenic risk scores (ADPRS) from two extensively characterized datasets. In an autopsy dataset spanning all stages of AD (n=1,457), astrocytic (Ast) ADPRS was associated with both diffuse and neuritic A{beta} plaques, while microglial (Mic) ADPRS was associated with neuritic A{beta} plaques, microglial activation, tau, and cognitive decline. Causal modeling analyses further clarified these relationships. In an independent neuroimaging dataset of cognitively unimpaired elderly (n=2,921), Ast-ADPRS were associated with A{beta}, and Mic-ADPRS was associated with A{beta} and tau, showing a consistent pattern with the autopsy dataset. Oligodendrocytic and excitatory neuronal ADPRSs were associated with tau, but only in the autopsy dataset including symptomatic AD cases. Together, our study provides human genetic evidence implicating multiple glial cell types in AD pathophysiology, starting from the preclinical stage.