摘要:

The heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene is located in chromosome 14, it is now considered as a molecular ''chaperone'' and a cell-protective agent. It may be closely related to the pathogenesis of dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). To examine the relationship between HSP70 and DAT, HSP70 mRNA expression levels in mononuclear blood cells (MBCs) from patients with DAT were measured by Northern blotting. We found no significant correlation between HSP70 mRNA levels and aging. We found that HSP70 mRNA levels in MBCs from patients with DAT were significantly lower than those from patients with vascular dementia and nondemented controls. These findings suggest that the lower levels of constitutive HSP70 mRNA in DAT play an important role in developing DAT and that the measurement of HSP70 mRNA may be useful for the diagnosis of DAT.

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106962

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Biochemical markers for AD would be of great value both to improve the clinical diagnostic accuracy in scientific studies and to increase the knowledge of the pathogenesis of the disorder. One of the main features of AD is a degeneration of synapses. Therefore, we examined if chromogranin A (CrA), the major protein of large dense-core synaptic vesicles, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be of value as a biochemical marker for the synaptic function in AD. The mean concentration of CrA in CSF was about 7.5 times higher than its concentration in serum, and there was no significant correlation between CSF-CrA and the blood-brain barrier function (measured as the CSF/serum albumin ratio), nor between CSF-CrA and serum-CrA. These findings suggest that the major portion of CSF-CrA is locally produced within the CNS. There were no significant differences in CSF-CrA between the AD (n = 29), vascular dementia (n = 13), and age-matched control (n = 9) groups (99.9 ± 58.9 ng/ml, 108.0 ± 69.4 ng/ml, and 115.1 ± 44.4 ng/ml, respectively). However, when the AD group was subdivided into AD type I (n = 12) and AD type II (n = 17), a lower concentration of CSF-CrA was found in AD type I (72.8 ± 28.9 ng/ml) compared with controls (115.1 ± 44.4 ng/ml), p < 0.02, and compared with AD type II (119.1 ± 67.5 ng/ml), p < 0.05, while CSF-CrA did not significantly differ between AD type II and controls. These findings suggest that CSF-CrA has a potential as a biochemical marker for the synaptic degeneration in AD type I, and gives further support for the relevance of identifying the AD type I (pure AD) subgroup in scientific st

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106963

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Computerized tomographic measures of recurrent cerebral infarctions, atrophy and local perfusion were all prospectively correlated with cognitive testing during treatment of risk factors plus antiplatelet therapy among vascular dementia patients. Neurological and cognitive status were quantified among 22 demented patients with small strokes and compared with 22 age-matched normal volunteers. In vascular dementia, risk factor control plus antiplatelet therapy reduced cerebral infarctions, increased perfusion, and stabilized or improved cognitive test performance, despite age-related, progressive cerebral atrophy.

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106964

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

EEG indicators were correlated with clinical items in 174 patients with dementia diagnoses based on the DSM-III-R criteria. The patients'' clinical symptomatologies were presented as regional brain syndromes, i.e. parietal lobe, frontal lobe, subcortical and global (nonregional) syndromes. The EEGs were abnormal in 87% of the cases. The typical abnormalities consisted of diffusely distributed slow wave activity. A significant correlation was found between the degree of slow wave abnormality and the degree of dementia. The results of the statistical analysis also suggest that EEG slow wave activity in dementia primarily reflects parietal lobe dysfunction. No association seems to exist between EEG slow wave activity and frontal lobe dysfunction.

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106965

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

In the present study we observed that the number of dense granules per platelet increases with age, attaining a maximum level above the age of about 40 years. Platelets of newborns apparently contain only a small number of dense granules per platelet. The numbers of platelet dense granules and platelet cell size in schizophrenic patients increase compared to age-matched healthy controls. In contrast, in Alzheimer-type dementia the number of platelet dense granules tends to decrease compared to healthy persons.

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106966

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Brains from 22 patients with Alzheimer''s disease (AD) and 20 non-diseased subjects were examined. Intraneuronal lipopigment in 2,440 nucleolated neurons throughout the depth of cortex was identifled by fluorescence microscopy. In the AD brains, the mean total area per neuron of the outlines of lipopigment was significantly increased in the region adjacent to the brain surface (sixths 1-3), and analysis of variance showed a significant interaction between depth of cortex (in sixths) and AD for this lipopigment variable (p = 0.012). After relating this lipopigment variable to the size of neuronal bodies, the results indicate that this change occurs in pyramidal neurons, although other neuronal types may also be affected. At least one of three AD-related changes in lipopigment was found in each sixth of the depth of cortex.

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106967

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

We evaluated the relationship between periventricular white matter lesions (PWMLs) and EEG abnormalities in probable Alzheimer''s disease (AD). We visually analyzed the EEG of 27 probable AD patients with mild to moderate degree of cognitive impairment participating in a longitudinal study of dementia. Patients had both CT and MRI scans performed at baseline examination, which also included an EEG. PWMLs were rated in CT and MRI films using a semiquantitative method. The EEGs were classified according to the Mayo Clinic Classification System. Abnormal EEGs correlated with PWMLs rating scores were detected on CT, but not on MRI. These data suggest that the presence of PWMLs contribute to the abnormal EEGs observed in AD patients, and that white matter abnormalities in CT correlate better with both the clinical findings and EEG than does the more sensitive but less specific MRI.

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106968

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 44 patients with clinical probable Alzheimer''s disease (AD) (subdivided in two groups with 18 early onset, EO, and 26 late onset, LO, cases), 10 patients with vascular dementia (VD) and 24 patients with major depression (MD) were assayed for concentrations of albumin and IgG. The severity of dementia was assessed with the Mini Mental State Examination. The CSF/serum ratio for albumin and IgG as well as the IgG index were used to evaluate blood-CSF barrier function. Various patients showed signs of blood-CSF-barrier (BCB) dysfunction and only few displayed evidence of local IgG synthesis in the central nervous system (CNS) in the AD, VD and in the MD group (IgG index >0.7). The permeability of the blood-CSF barrier was not correlated to measures of dementia severity. Our data support the hypothesis of a BCB leakage in a subgroup of all investigated patients. Furthermore, we found a small number of patients with increased intrathecal IgG synthesis. Elevated CSF immunoglobulins combined with BCB impairment might be associated or caused by a general immune activation. Our data are in agreement with the assumption that an inflammatory process may play a role in a subgroup of patients with AD but also with MD and less likely in VD. In conclusion BCB impairment and elevated IgG Immunoglobulin levels are unspeciflc either for AD, VD or MD.

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106969

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The cumulative risk of Alzheimer-like dementia (AD) was investigated in first-degree relatives (n = 176) of 35 probands with autopsy-confirmed clinical diagnoses of Alzheimer''s disease. Seventeen of the 176 first-degree relatives showed evidence of AD. Cumulative morbid risk for the first-degree relatives was estimated to be 28.8%. This result is broadly consistent with previously reported studies, and affirms the presence of substantial disease risk in close relatives of those with Alzheimer''s disease

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106970

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:1420-8008    

DOI:10.1159/000106971

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1995

数据来源: Karger