title: Cytokine profiles and the role of cellular prion protein in patients with vascular dementia and vascular encephalopathy.
abstract: Understanding inflammatory mechanisms in vascular dementia (VD) is pivotal for achieving better insights into changes in brain metabolism. We performed cytokine profiling and measured levels of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with VD and with vascular encephalopathy (VE). Significant changes were observed for interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-5, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, and macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta in serum and for IL-6 and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor in CSF of VD and VE patients, suggesting that most of immune markers depend on vascular lesions, while only IL-6 was related to dementia. In VD patients, the severity of dementia as defined by the Mini-Mental Status Test or Cambridge Cognitive Examination battery test was significantly correlated with the levels of IL-8 (CSF) and macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta (serum and CSF). Additionally, in CSF of VD patients, our data revealed a correlation between immune and neurodegenerative marker proteins. Both indicate an association of neuroinflammation and cognitive decline. Levels of PrP(C) were regulated differentially in VD and VE patients compared with Alzheimer's disease patients and controls. Moreover, we observed a significant negative correlation between cytokine levels and PrP(C) in VD patients in CSF and serum, as well as a correlation between PrP(C) expression with levels of neurodegenerative marker proteins in CSF (in VD and VE patients). Our data suggest that immunological modifiers play a role in VD and VE patients and provide evidence for an association of PrP(C) with immune and neurodegenerative markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany. Electronic address: matthias.schmitz@med.uni-goettingen.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Pantelis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oikonomou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stoeck
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.affiliation: Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poliakova
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Franc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Llorens
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Saima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zafar
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zerr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011328:Prions / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016207:Cytokines; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011328:Prions; C078592:amyloid beta-protein (1-40); C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D016875:tau Proteins
keywords: Cellular prion protein; Cytokines; Neuroinflammation; Vascular dementia; Vascular encephalopathy