Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is molecularly heterogeneous. In our previous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomic study in AD, we identified and validated five distinct molecular subtypes characterized by neuronal hyperplasticity (subtype 1), innate immune activation (subtype 2), RNA dysregulation (subtype 3), choroid plexus dysfunction (subtype 4) and blood-brain barrier impairment (subtype 5). These subtypes also differed in the CSF levels of proteins involved in lipid metabolism, suggesting that lipid dysregulation in AD might be subtype specific. METHODS: We performed untargeted lipidomics on CSF samples from 601 individuals in the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort who were previously included in our proteomic study (n = 416 AD, 185 controls). Using the CSH-QTOF platform for complex lipids, 3,532 lipids were detected in CSF, 270 of which could be mapped to 13 different lipid classes. Lipid levels were compared between each AD subtype and controls using linear regression models adjusted for age and sex (R v4.2.1). Lipids with significantly different levels (p < 0.05) were included for pathway enrichment analysis with MetaboAnalyst6.0. RESULTS: We observed alterations in the levels of 1,893 lipids, with the majority associated with a single AD subtype. Subtype 3 (RNA dysregulation) exhibited the most pronounced alterations, with altered CSF levels of 669 lipids, including triglycerides and fatty acids, which were reduced compared to controls. Subtype 4 (choroid plexus dysfunction) and subtype 5 (blood-brain barrier dysfunction) both had alterations in the same set of 150 lipids, but with changes occurring in opposite directions (i.e., decreased in subtype 4, and increased in subtype 5). These lipids were associated with sphingolipid metabolism and lipid transport. Subtype 1 (neuronal hyperplasticity) and subtype 2 (innate immune activation) had less pronounced differences compared to the other subtypes. Subtype 1 had increased levels of several phospholipids, indicating neuronal membrane remodeling, and subtype 2 decreased arachidonic acid levels, a precursor of immunoregulatory oxylipins. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal subtype-specific lipid metabolism alterations in AD. Currently, five lipid-targeting drugs are in phase 1 and 2 trials. Our results suggest that treatment efficacy may vary by subtype. Understanding these molecular differences can inform trial design and analysis, advancing the development of tailored therapies for AD. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44477-026-00018-z.