T-cell interferon gamma binding in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type.
OBJECTIVE
To study T-cell-dependent immune function in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT).


METHODS
Assay interferon gamma binding on T lymphocytes in patients with DAT, as compared with healthy controls.


METHODS
The study was performed on ambulatory patients in a tertiary care center, where patients were diagnosed as having DAT according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke criteria.


METHODS
Thirty-five nondepressed patients with DAT (15 women and 20 men; mean [+/-SD] age, 68.6 +/- 15.8 years) were selected consecutively. They were drug free for at least 3 weeks and did not smoke. Illness severity was evaluated according to the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale. The control group comprised 35 age- and sex-matched, healthy nonsmoking subjects, with no family history of neuropsychiatric disorders.


RESULTS
A significant reduction (P < .001) of T-lymphocyte interferon gamma binding was observed in patients with DAT as compared with healthy controls (611 +/- 19 [SE] vs 702 +/- 11 [SE] receptors per cell, respectively), whereas the dissociation constant (ligand-receptor affinity) values were similar in the 2 groups (1.1 +/- 0.06 [SE] and 1.2 +/- 0.06 [SE] nmol/L).


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate a derangement of the immune response in patients with DAT, since cell surface interferon gamma receptors seem to be related with T-lymphocyte immune function.
Bongioanni
P
P
Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento, Pisa, Italy.
Boccardi
B
B
Borgna
M
M
Castagna
M
M
Mondino
C
C
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D007371:Interferon-gamma