title: Potential biomarkers for vascular damage in Alzheimer's disease: thrombomodulin and von Willebrand factor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence regarding the vascular basis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is growing. In vascular damage thrombomodulin tears of the cell wall and its level increases in the plasma. von Willebrand factor (vWF) is also thought to be a biomarker for vascular damage. The aim of this study was to examine the levels of vWF and thrombomodulin in AD as possible markers for vascular damage and to test their utility as an early biomarker in AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Geriatric medicine outpatient clinic of a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty Alzheimer's disease patients free from vascular risk factors and 20 controls were enrolled in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thrombomodulin and VWF levels of 20 AD patients and 20 controls were analyzed by commercial kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thrombomodulin levels were not different between Alzheimer's disease and control groups [median (range) = 4.25 (2.27-37.00) ng/ml in Alzheimer's disease and 3.55 (2.27-14.00) in control group, p=0.15]. Von Willebrand Factor antigen (%) levels were 188.5 (96-306) in Alzheimer's disease, and 181 (112- 284) in control group (p=0.74).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although vascular damage is thought to play role in the pathogenesis of AD, vWF and thrombomodulin failed to demonstrate the vascular damage in AD. Their utility to be used as early biomarkers of AD could not be shown.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Sihhiye, 06100, Ankara, Turkey. bbdogu@gmail.com
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Dede
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cankurtaran
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halil
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ulger
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Cankurtaran
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aytemir
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kabakci
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Haznedaroglu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ariogul
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018180:Thrombomodulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018180:Thrombomodulin; D014841:von Willebrand Factor