title: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a laboratory to study dementia in the elderly.
abstract: The steady and dramatic increase in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the lack of effective treatments have stimulated the search for strategies to prevent or delay its onset and/or progression. Since the diagnosis of dementia requires a number of established features that are present when the disease is fully developed, but not always in the early stages, the need for a biological marker has proven to be urgent, in terms of both diagnosis and monitoring of AD. AD has been shown to affect peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that are a critical component of the immune system which provide defence against infection. Although studies are continuously supplying additional data that emphasize the central role of inflammation in AD, PBMCs have not been sufficiently investigated in this context. Delineating biochemical alterations in AD blood constituents may prove valuable in identifying accessible footprints that reflect degenerative processes within the Central Nervous System (CNS). In this review, we address the role of biomarkers in AD with a focus on the notion that PBMCs may serve as a peripheral laboratory to find molecular signatures that could aid in differential diagnosis with other forms of dementia and in monitoring of disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy ; Geriatric Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arosio
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment University of Teramo, Piazza Aldo Moro 45, 64100 Teramo, Italy ; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet CMM L8:01, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Addario
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gussago
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casati
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tedone
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicolini
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: European Center for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy ; Center of Integrated Research, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maccarrone
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy ; Geriatric Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mari
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers