Reduced CSF CART in dementia with Lewy bodies.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common form of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). The underlying neurobiological mechanism of DLB is not fully understood and no generally accepted biomarkers are yet available for the diagnosis of DLB. In a recent MRI study, DLB patients displayed hypothalamic atrophy whereas this region was not affected in AD patients. Cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) is a neuropeptide expressed selectively in neurons in the hypothalamus. Here, we found that CSF CART levels were significantly reduced by 30% in DLB patients (n = 12) compared to controls (n = 12) as well as to AD patients (n = 14) using radioimmunoassay. Our preliminary results suggest that reduced CSF CART is a sign of hypothalamic dysfunction in DLB and that it may serve as a biomarker for this patient group.
Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Kristofer
K
Schultz
Sara
S
Wiehager
Karin
K
Nilsson
Jørgen E
JE
Nielsen
Suzanne G
SG
Lindquist
Lena E
LE
Hjermind
Birgitte B
BB
Andersen
Anders
A
Wallin
Christer
C
Nilsson
Asa
A
Petersén
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein; D016875:tau Proteins