Buccal Epithelium as an Object for Molecular Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Vascular Dementia

Cognitive impairment screening is an important issue in modern biomedicine. Neuropsychological tests have their limitations and, in some cases, fail to ensure an objective assessment of the dementia presence in individuals, especially in early stages of the disease development. In this study, we have investigated the expression of signaling molecules in the buccal epithelium, which are involved in the biochemical mechanisms of cognitive impairment caused by neurovascular pathology, in order to develop a diagnostic panel of molecular markers for dementia. Buccal epithelial samples from 146 participants, including 100 patients with vascular dementia (VD) and 46 healthy volunteers, were analyzed using immunocytochemistry. Based on the obtained results, a diagnostic panel for vascular dementia screening was developed, including such markers as β-amyloid, NF-κB, tau protein, claudin, and S100 protein. The buccal epithelium has been found to provide a convenient source of biomaterial for non-invasive diagnosis of cognitive disorders caused by neurovascular pathologies.