Blood cells cholinesterase activity in early stage Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
Blood acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities have been studied as markers for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their usefulness as a disease marker is controversial. To determine cholinesterase (ChE) activity during AD progression and whether ChE changes associate to other dementias, ChE activity was measured in lymphocytes, erythrocytes and platelets. Subjects underwent extensive medical and neuropsychological examination. Both early-AD and AD patients had lower AChE activity in lymphocytes compared to control subjects (p < 0.0001). In contrast, erythrocyte AChE activity was higher in patients with vascular dementia (p = 0.004). Low ChE activity in lymphocytes was the best discriminator for AD. Because it was already low at very early stages of AD, ChE could be helpful as an early biomarker of differential diagnosis for the follow-up of patients during their early stages of cognitive impairment before a clinical dementia is established.
von Bernhardi
Rommy
R
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta 391, Santiago, Chile. rvonb@med.puc.cl
Alarcón
Rodrigo
R
Mezzano
Diego
D
Fuentes
Patricio
P
Inestrosa
Nibaldo C
NC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase; D002802:Cholinesterases