title: Effect of leuprolide on serum amyloid-β peptide levels and memory in patients with prostate cancer with biochemical recurrence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether prostate cancer patients receiving leuprolide demonstrated objective cognitive decline accompanied by a change in plasma levels of amyloid-β.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between November 19, 2003, and July 21, 2008, we prospectively enrolled 50 patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer and measured plasma amyloid-β peptide 40 and amyloid-β peptide 42 levels with sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline before the first leuprolide injection and at 2, 4, and 12 months. The Mini-Mental State Examination was used to assess 49 patients at baseline and at subsequent visits, and 24 were also assessed by the California Verbal Learning Test-Short Form.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were a median age of 71 years (range, 59-89 years). Compared with baseline levels, plasma amyloid-β peptide 40 levels were increased at 2 months (P=.04) and 4 months (P=.02). Age was correlated with plasma amyloid-β peptide 40 levels (P=.003) and likely accounted for this relationship. Plasma amyloid-β peptide 42 and performance on cognitive tasks did not differ from baseline, but memory measures improved slightly after baseline, most likely due to a practice effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leuprolide therapy was not associated with a decline in cognition or memory function or with elevated plasma amyloid short-term. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Oncology, Cancer Center, GU Oncology, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA. tan.winston@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Winston W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Heckman
authors.forename: Prakash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vishnu
authors.forename: Julia E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Crook
authors.forename: Linda H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Younkin
authors.forename: Edgar G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Covil
authors.forename: Tanis J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Ferman
authors.forename: Neill R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Graff-Radford
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Younkin
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Smallridge
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wehle
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Buskirk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C078592:amyloid beta-protein (1-40); C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D016729:Leuprolide