Basal and activated intracellular calcium ion concentrations in mononuclear cells of Alzheimer's disease and unipolar depression.
We present the results of a case control study on the concentration of intracellular calcium [Ca+2]i in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), major affective disorder unipolar type (DEP), and elderly controls. We used the fluorescent dye Quin-2 to measure intracellular calcium concentration in PBMC both in their basal resting state [Ca+2]b and after activation [Ca+2]a with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The [Ca+2]b and [Ca+2]a values in PBMC of AD patients were significantly higher than those of the elderly controls and of the DEP patients. In the DEP patients the [Ca+2]a values in PBMC were significantly higher than those of the elderly controls, but the [Ca+2]b values were not. [Ca+2]i levels did not correlate with age, gender, or duration and severity of the diseases investigated. These findings indicate that higher values of [Ca+2]b and [Ca+2]a may differentiate most AD patients from elderly controls or DEP patients.
Adunsky
A
A
Dementia Clinic, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Diver-Haber
A
A
Becker
D
D
Hershkowitz
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis
D002118:Calcium