title: Enhanced folate binding of cultured fibroblasts from Alzheimer's disease patients.
abstract: We compared the levels of serum folate from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and from age-matched healthy subjects and used primary cultures of fibroblasts, obtained from the two groups, to assess possible differences in their ability to bind folate. The results show that the levels of circulating folate are significantly (p<0.01; n=30) lower in AD patients than in controls (4.91+/-2.44 and 7.56+/-2.5 ng/mL, respectively). Moreover, the folate binding of AD fibroblasts is significantly (p<0.01; n=8) higher (2-4-fold) with respect to controls. RT-PCR experiments suggest that the higher folate binding could be due to an enhanced expression in AD fibroblasts of folate receptor alpha.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca - Via Cadore 48, 20052 Monza, MI, Italy. e.cazzaniga1@campus.unimib.it
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cazzaniga
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bulbarelli
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lonati
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Re
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galimberti
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitto
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrarese
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masserini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D058973:Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011851:Radioactivity; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D058973:Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D005492:Folic Acid