Patients with Alzheimer's disease display a pro-inflammatory phenotype.
BACKGROUND
Inflammation plays a pivotal role in amyloid plaque progression thereby contributing to Alzheimer's disease-related neurodegeneration. We hypothesized that patients with Alzheimer's disease have an innate pro-inflammatory phenotype, as compared to control subjects without dementia.


METHODS
Patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease (n=12) and control subjects without signs of dementia (n=18) were enrolled. Whole blood samples were stimulated ex vivo with endotoxin under standard conditions. Cytokine levels were assessed by ELISA and compared by Mann-Whitneyll-test after log transformation.


RESULTS
Patients with Alzheimer's disease had seven- to ten-fold higher IL-1beta production relative to the amount of IL-10 both at the low (p=0.006) and high concentration of endotoxin (p=0.007). Subjects who display a pro-inflammatory phenotype as defined by a high IL-1beta/IL-10 ratio had 13.0-fold higher odds (95% CI: 2.1-82) to have dementia.


CONCLUSIONS
The data support the hypothesis that a pro-inflammatory phenotype contributes to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Remarque
E J
EJ
Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of General Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Building 1 C-2R, P.O.BOX 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands. e.j.remarque@lumc.nl
Bollen
E L
EL
Weverling-Rijnsburger
A W
AW
Laterveer
J C
JC
Blauw
G J
GJ
Westendorp
R G
RG
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D012016:Reference Values
D004731:Endotoxins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D016753:Interleukin-10