title: Blood markers in Alzheimer disease: subnormal acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase in lymphocytes and erythrocytes.
abstract: In patients with the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD), we searched for systemic changes in components of the blood as a diagnostic tool. The acetylcholine-related enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) were measured in plasma, erythrocytes, platelets and lymphocytes. Results did not show a general effect; notwithstanding, specific cell types presented alterations either in AChE or BuChE but not in both enzymatic activities. In AD patients, AChE of lymphocytes was reduced by 60% compared with the age-matched controls. However, when patients were divided, the sporadic but not the familial subgroup exhibited a significant reduction. In erythrocytes the BuChE activity was reduced by 45% in sporadic AD. The molecular forms of the lymphocyte AChE were characterized by velocity sedimentation. Both globular forms were subnormal, more so the tetrameric G4 AChE form than the G2 form.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Inestrosa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alarcón
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arriagada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donoso
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000201:enzymology; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood*; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase