Unit:
Τομέας ΚλινικοεργαστηριακόςLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Σταμούλη Ευαγγελία
Dissertation committee:
Αναπλ. Καθ. Σταυρούλα Κουλοχέρη, Αναπλ. Καθ. Αντώνης Πολίτης, Επίκ. Καθ. Χριστίνα Πιπέρη
Original Title:
Διερεύνηση του ανοσοβιοχημικού προφίλ ασθενών με έκπτωση των γνωσιακών λειτουργιών και συσχέτιση με τα νευροψυχιατρικά συμπτώματα
Translated title:
Investigation of the immunobiochemical profil of patients with cognitive impairment and association with the neuropsychiatric symptoms
Summary:
Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and
detection of peripherical inflammatory markers for the diagnosis and monitoring
of disease could be valuable.
Methods: 105 AD patients and 23 controls were assessed. The patients were
divided into two groups, according to the receipt or not of
acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI). Six months after starting treatment
with AChEI, 19 patients were re-assessed clinically and laboratorily.
Psychometric scales were used for the assessment of cognitive function and the
detection of depressive and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Pro-inflammatory
cytokines levels in peripheral blood were measured by ELISPOT assay. Other
inflammatory factors were estimated by ELISA.
Results: The secretion of cytokines differed significantly between patients and
controls. After treatment with AChEI, cytokines levels were also reduced
significantly. The reduction of IFNγ and TNFα secretion was associated with the
improvement of depressive symptoms, while the decrease of IL-6 secretion was
associated with the improvement in neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Conclusions: Τhe observed difference in secretion of cytokines between patients
and controls indicates that inflammation is present in AD and the correlation
between the improvement of depressive and neuropsychiatric symptoms and the
reduction of cytokines secretion raises new questions for the role of cytokines
in AD.
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s disease , Pro-inflammatory cytokines, ELISPOT assay, Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, Depression in AD
Number of references:
519
