The potential diagnostic accuracy of urine formaldehyde levels in Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Formaldehyde (FA), a toxic aldehyde, has been shown to be associated with a variety of cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There is increasing evidence that FA levels are significantly increased in AD patients and may be involved in the pathological process of AD. The aim of this study was to assess the potential diagnostic value of urine FA levels in AD using meta-analysis techniques.

Methods: Original reports of morning urine FA levels in AD patients and healthy controls (HCs) were included in the meta-analysis. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated using a random-effects model, heterogeneity was explored using methodological, age, sex difference and sensitivity analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the diagnostic value of urine FA levels in AD.

Results: A total of 12 studies were included, and the urine FA levels of 874 AD patients and 577 HCs were reviewed. Compared with those in HCs, the FA levels were significantly increased in AD patients. The heterogeneity of the results did not affect their robustness, and results of the area under the curve (AUC) suggested that urine FA levels had good potential diagnostic value.

Conclusion: Urine FA levels are involved in AD disease progression and are likely to be useful as a potential biomarker for clinical auxiliary diagnosis. However, further studies are needed to validate the results of this study.