title: Activated mTOR and PKR kinases in lymphocytes correlate with memory and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The control of translation, involving the kinases mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and PKR (double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase), modulates cell survival and death and is altered in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In AD increased susceptibility of lymphocytes to apoptosis has been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the level of the kinases mTOR and PKR and the eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha (eIF2alpha) in lymphocytes of patients with AD in comparison with controls. In AD patients we also looked for a correlation between activated proteins and cognitive and memory tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report significant alterations of the levels of these kinases and eIF2alpha in lymphocytes of AD patients that were also significantly correlated with cognitive and memory test scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the levels of mTOR, PKR and eIF2alpha in lymphocytes could follow the cognitive decline in AD.
authors.affiliation: Brain Aging Research Group EA 3808, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France. m.paccalin@chu-poitiers.fr
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paccalin
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pain-Barc
authors.forename: Claudette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pluchon
authors.forename: Chloé
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Marie-Noelle
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Besson
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Carret-Rebillat
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rioux-Bilan
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hugon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019892:eIF-2 Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2; D011494:Protein Kinases; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019892:eIF-2 Kinase