title: Serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) promotes the survival and function of neutrophils. G-CSF is also a neurotrophic factor, increasing neuroplasticity and suppressing apoptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed G-CSF levels in 197 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 203 cognitively normal controls (NCs) from a longitudinal study by the Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium (TARCC). Data were analyzed by regression with adjustment for age, education, gender and APOE4 status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum G-CSF was significantly lower in AD patients than in NCs (β = -0.073; p = 0.008). However, among AD patients, higher serum G-CSF was significantly associated with increased disease severity, as indicated by lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores (β = -0.178; p = 0.014) and higher scores on the global Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale (β = 0.170; p = 0.018) and CDR Sum of Boxes (β = 0.157; p = 0.035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  G-CSF appears to have a complex relationship with AD pathogenesis and may reflect different pathophysiologic processes at different illness stages.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Tex. ; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Tex.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: Melissa I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Guanghua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Huebinger
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Diaz-Arrastia
authors.forename: Kirk C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Wilhelmsen
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Sid E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: O'Bryant