title: [Alzheimer's disease: immunity and diagnosis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alzheimer's disease is a slowly progressing neurodegenerative disease that presents cognitive impairment, progressive loss of memory and conduct disorders. The main risk factor is advanced age. There is currently no cure for this disease and, consequently, important efforts have been made to describe readily accessible methods that allow it to be diagnosed earlier, as well as more effective treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  A great amount of research focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease is being carried out around the world. In this study we review the main aspects involved in the pathological process of the disease, with emphasis on the changes that generate an immune response and the possible diagnostic markers that have been proposed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Today, a large body of information on Alzheimer's disease is available. Nevertheless, it is still important to continue with research that allows these patients to improve their quality of life by means of earlier and more accurate diagnoses, as well as more appropriate treatments.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico.
authors.forename: Marisol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herrera-Rivero
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hernández-Aguilar
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manzo
authors.forename: Gonzalo Emiliano
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Aranda-Abreu
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / Q000378:metabolism; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D015415:Biomarkers; D016875:tau Proteins; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human