title: [Serum levels of macrophage colony stimulating factor in the patients with Alzheimer's disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the availability of serum level of macrophage clony stimulating factor (M-CSF) as a marker for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum levels of M-CSF in 70 patients with AD, 52 healthy controls, 22 patients with VAD (vascular dementia) were measured and the serum levels of IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha in 32 patients with AD and 20 controls were measured as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of M-CSF were significantly elevated in patients with AD when compared with healthy controls (P < 0.01) and VAD controls (P < 0.05) respectively. At the early stage of mild dementia and middle dementia, serum levels of M-CSF were significantly elevated, but at the later stage of severe dementia, they returned to normal level. Serum levels of IL-1 beta were significantly elevated in AD patients compared with controls (P < 0.05), and serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were within the normal range in patients with AD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that serum M-CSF level may provide a convenient and sensitive means for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Basic Medical Science, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100005, China.
authors.forename: Qing-li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Jian-min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhen-xin
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ping-jiang
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Ya-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ru-shun
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mi
authors.forename: Yu-hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yan-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor