Inflammatory Markers Can Predict Alzheimer's

Robert W. Griffith, MD

The May 29 issue of Neurology contains the findings of a study of inflammatory markers produced by the mononuclear blood cells of older people. Previous studies in animals and postmortem findings in humans have demonstrated that cytokines (small proteins which regulate immunity, inflammation, and blood cell formation) such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) are found in association with the senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's. Until now, circulating levels of these cytokines have not been clearly associated with the risk of the disease. Examining the release of cytokines from mononuclear blood cells (which can cross into the brain) might reveal a more direct relationship.

The Boston researchers, using data from the Framingham Study, followed 691 healthy adults to see which would develop Alzheimer's. The subjects averaged 79 years of age, and 62% were women.

For each cytokine studied, the subjects were ranked according to their production level from the mononuclear cells. Those subjects in the top two-thirds for production of IL-1 and in the top one third of production for TNF-alpha had a significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. In the top third subjects for both cytokines the risk was about 2½ times that of the risk in the lowest cytokine third.

If confirmed, these findings may provide a test of increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, the principal researcher in the study, Dr Tan, suggests that these cytokines may offer a target for drug development. Reducing inflammation is one way of trying to combat the effect of cytokines, and studies in this direction are underway, but maybe one should aim at blocking their formation?

Source
HealthandAge Blog

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