Systemic immune aberrations in Alzheimer's disease patients.
The role of chronic inflammation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been implied in a plethora of studies. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the immune alterations and the immunological markers in patients suffering from AD. IL-1alpha, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-alpha cytokine and helper/inducer (CD4), suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8) T lymphocyte levels were investigated in patients with various degrees of cognitive impairment (mild-moderate and severe stage), as well as in age-matched non demented controls. Cytokines were measured using the ELISA immunoassay method and lymphocytes using flow cytometry. Results showed a significant TNF-alpha increase in patients of severe stage serum compared to controls as well as a significant decrease of CD4 lymphocyte subpopulation levels in patients of severe stage compared to those of mild-moderate stage patients and controls. No significant differences were observed on IL-1alpha, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 cytokine levels and on CD8, CD4/CD8 lymphocyte subpopulations levels between patients and controls neither between mild moderate and severe stage patients. CD4 lymphocyte subpopulation and cytokine IL-2 were revealed as having a significant relationship (positive and negative respectively) with the MMSE score of patients. Data suggest the existence of detectable changes of peripheral immune system in AD.
1st Department of Neurology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. kbonotis@yahoo.gr
Konstantinos
K
Bonotis
Eleni
E
Krikki
Vasiliki
V
Holeva
Christina
C
Aggouridaki
Vasiliki
V
Costa
Stavros
S
Baloyannis
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines