Evidence mapPaperPMID 41535870Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2026

Normalization strategies for protein quantification in plasma astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles: a clinical applicability study.

Kun Li, Mian-Mian Chen, Shu-Xian Xu, Zhongchun Liu

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Article in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
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3citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Kun LiDepartment of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, China.
Mian-Mian ChenDepartment of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, China.
Shu-Xian XuPrecision Radiotheranostics Translation Center, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, St. Louis, USA.
Zhongchun LiuDepartment of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, China. zcliu6@whu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Key Research and Development Project of China 2024YFC3308400
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAstrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (ADEVs) have emerged as a novel research tool in the field of central nervous system disorders. However, significant differences in yield and purity exist among extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated by different methods, leading to considerable heterogeneity in clinical study outcomes. Therefore, establishing appropriate normalization strategies to enhance comparability across results is a key prerequisite for their clinical translation.

methodsThis study included 15 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 15 healthy controls (HCs). ADEVs were isolated from plasma using ultracentrifugation combined with immunoaffinity capture. Subsequently, the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), five EV biomarkers (CD9, CD63, CD81, Alix, and TSG101), and particle counts in ADEVs were quantified. In addition, plasma lipoprotein levels were measured.

resultsOur results demonstrated a lack of significant correlation between particle counts and the levels of five EV biomarkers in plasma ADEVs, whereas strong correlations were observed among the five biomarkers themselves. Normalization of BDNF levels to CD81 or CD9 revealed a significant decrease in the MDD group, whereas normalization to EV particle counts or other EV biomarkers did not show such differences. Notably, plasma levels of apolipoprotein B (APOB), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and total cholesterol (TC) significantly interfered with the measurement of particle counts.

conclusionsIn summary, under conventional EV isolation and detection conditions, our findings support the use of EV biomarker levels rather than particle counts as a normalization method for quantifying target proteins of ADEVs in plasma.

Indexed as

AstrocytesExtracellular VesiclesMajor Depressive DisorderAdultBiomarkersBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorCalcium-Binding ProteinsCase-Control StudiesCell Cycle ProteinsDNA-Binding ProteinsEndosomal Sorting Complexes Required for TransportFemaleHumansLipoproteinsMaleMiddle AgedBDNF protein, humanBiomarkersBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorCalcium-Binding ProteinsCD63 protein, humanCD81 protein, humanCD9 protein, humanCell Cycle ProteinsDNA-Binding ProteinsEndosomal Sorting Complexes Required for TransportLipoproteinsPDCD6IP protein, humanTetraspanin 28Tetraspanin 29Tetraspanin 30Tsg101 ProteinAstrocyte-derived extracellular vesicleExtracellular vesicle biomarkerLipoproteinNormalization strategyParticle count

Identifiers

PMID41535870
PMCPMC12888263

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.