title: CSF alpha-MSH in dementia of the Alzheimer type.
abstract: We measured CSF alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone-like immunoreactivity (alpha-MSH-LI) in 35 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and in 27 healthy control subjects. Mean alpha-MSH-LI concentration was significantly decreased in DAT patients as compared with age-matched controls. However, when the DAT patients were analyzed according to age at onset of dementia or presence of extrapyramidal signs, alpha-MSH-LI concentrations remained significantly lower than in controls only in DAT patients with late onset of dementia (greater than 65 years of age). No correlation was found between alpha-MSH levels and degree of mental impairment. A significant negative correlation was found between CSF concentrations of alpha-MSH and homovanillic acid in the group of all DAT patients (p less than 0.001). These results suggest that hypothalamic neurons which produce pro-opiomelanocortin-related peptides may be involved in Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rainero
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Friedland
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Rapoport
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003704:Dementia / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D000521:alpha-MSH