Cerebrospinal fluid and serum antimicroglial antibodies: prospects for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
The acceptance that chronic inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease has widen the window of opportunity for novel therapeutics. The need to establish markers to detect early and preclinical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is critical as this could allow early intervention. Activated microglia, now considered as the immune cell of the CNS, have gained recognition as participating in the cascade of early events leading to Alzheimer's disease pathology. The serendipitous findings of microglia antibodies in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease patients could be a means to distinguish Alzheimer's disease patients from other dementias. Further investigations revealing the presence of these particular antibodies in patients at earlier stages suggested that they may be a source to monitor the progression of the disorder. Combining the detection of these antibodies with clinical trials could provide essential feedback about the efficacy of the therapies to interfere with the disease process.
McRae
Amanda
A
University of West Indies, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. mcrae@carib-link.net
Ling
Eng Ang
EA