Cerebrospinal Fluid Antimicroglial Antibodies in Alzheimer Disease: A Putative Marker of an Ongoing Inflammatory Process

Authors

Amanda McRae, University of the West Indies
Ralph Martins, Edith Cowan University
Justine Fonte, Edith Cowan University
Rudolf Kraftsik, University of Lausanne
Lorenz Hirt, University Medical School of Lausanne
Judith Miklossy, University of British Columbia

Document Type

Journal Article

Publisher

Elsevier Inc.

Faculty

Faculty of Computing, Health and Science

School

School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Science

RAS ID

5124

Comments

McRae, A., Martins, R. N., Fonte, J., Kraftsik, R., Hirt, L., & Miklossy, J. (2007). Cerebrospinal fluid antimicroglial antibodies in Alzheimer disease: A putative marker of an ongoing inflammatory process. Experimental Gerontology, 42(4), 355-363. Available here

Abstract

Immunocompetent microglia play an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Antimicroglial antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in clinically diagnosed AD patients have been previously recorded. Here, we report the results of the analysis of the CSF from 38 autopsy cases: 7 with definite AD; 14 with mild and 10 with moderate Alzheimer’s type pathology; and 7 controls. Antimicroglial antibodies were identified in 70% of patients with definite AD, in 80% of patients with moderate and in 28% of patients with mild Alzheimer’s type pathology. CSF antimicroglial antibodies were not observed in any of the control cases. The results show that CSF antimicroglial antibodies are present in the majority of patients with definite AD and also in cases with moderate Alzheimer’s type changes. They may also indicate dysregulation of microglial function. Together with previous observations, these findings indicate that compromised immune defense mechanisms play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD.

DOI

10.1016/j.exger.2006.10.015