Dementia and Antiphospholipid Antibodies

Abstract

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLAb) may cause both focal ischemic and diffuse brain damage and may be associated with dementia. We have examined the relationship of aPLAb to dementia in the elderly. Blood samples were obtained from 87 consecutive patients with dementia (74 ± 11 years old) and 69 controls (78 ± 9 years old), residents of an old age home who were not overtly demented. Levels of aPLAb were measured by a standardized ELISA, utilizing cardiolipin as antigen, and we considered levels above 20 IgG antiphospholipid units (GPLU) as significantly elevated. We found that 5 of the 87 demented patients (6%), but none of the 69 controls, had significantly elevated aPLAb levels (p = 0.03, one-tailed Fisher’s exact test). All the patients with high aPLAb levels were diagnosed clinically as having dementia of the Alzheimer type, except for 1 who had mixed dementia, and none had features of an immune-mediated disease. Thus, a small but significant number of patients with dementia have high levels of aPLAb. The role of the aPLAb in these patients, with apparently diffuse brain disease, is currently unknown.

Global Gene Expression Profile of the Hippocampus in a Rat Model of Vascular Dementia

“…Thirdly, a growing body of evidence (Zuliani et al 2007a, b;Zhang et al 2012b) indicates that plasma cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1β in VD patients and hippocampal inflammatory factors in VD rats are increased, and that inhibiting inflammatory response improves cognitive impairment in VD rats, implying inflammatory status influences the onset of VD. Moreover, VD is often associated with increased autoantibodies (Mosek et al 2000;de Godoy et al 2005). In the present study, GO and pathway analysis showed that both of differentially expressed genes RT1-N1 and RT1-CE12 had close relationship with autoimmune response.…”

Central Nervous System Manifestations in Rheumatic Diseases

“…Neurologic disorders are among the most prominent clinical manifestations associated with the antiphospholipid syndrome. Such neurologic disorders are predominantly related to focal central nervous system thrombo-occlusive events (12,13). Antiphospholipid antibodies have been associated with a variety of neurologic manifestations.…”

Neurologic manifestations of the antiphospholipid syndrome

“…Mosek et al [47] found that five of 87 demented elderly patients (6%) had elevated aPL. All except for one (who had mixed dementia) were diagnosed clinically as having dementia of the Alzheimer type, compared with zero of 69 normal age-matched controls.…”