title: Brain tocopherols related to Alzheimer's disease neuropathology in humans.
abstract: Randomized trials of α-tocopherol supplements on cognitive decline are negative, whereas studies of dietary tocopherols have shown benefit. We investigated these inconsistencies by analyzing the relations of α- and γ-tocopherol brain concentrations to Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology among 115 deceased participants of the prospective Rush Memory and Aging Project. Associations of amyloid load and neurofibrillary tangle severity with brain tocopherol concentrations were examined in separate adjusted linear regression models. γ-Tocopherol concentrations were associated with lower amyloid load (β = -2.10, P = .002) and lower neurofibrillary tangle severity (β = -1.16, P = .02). Concentrations of α-tocopherol were not associated with AD neuropathology, except as modified by γ-tocopherol: high α-tocopherol was associated with higher amyloid load when γ-tocopherol levels were low and with lower amyloid levels when γ-tocopherol levels were high (P for interaction = 0.03). Brain concentrations of γ- and α-tocopherols may be associated with AD neuropathology in interrelated, complex ways. Randomized trials should consider the contribution of γ-tocopherol.
authors.affiliation: Section on Nutrition and Nutritional Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Alzheimer Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: martha_c_morris@rush.edu.
authors.forename: Martha Clare
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Section on Nutrition and Nutritional Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Alzheimer Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Christy C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tangney
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Sukriti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nag
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Honer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000473:pathology*; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000473:pathology*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism*; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta; Cohort studies; Neurofiibrillary tangles; Nutritional; Tocopherols; Vitamin E