Nc. Inestrosa et al., PLATELET OF ALZHEIMER PATIENTS - INCREASED COUNTS AND SUBNORMAL UPTAKE AND ACCUMULATION OF [C-14] 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE, Neuroscience letters, 163(1), 1993, pp. 8-10
Platelets are the main source of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and amyloi
d precursor protein (APP) found in plasma. We studied a possible corre
lation between platelet markers and the clinical diagnosis of Alzheime
r disease (AD). Our results indicate that in AD patients: (a) platelet
s are elevated, (b) their ability to accumulate 5-HT decreases and, (c
) the kinetic parameters of 5-HT uptake are altered (decreased K-m and
V-max), compared to non-demented healthy individuals. An aged Down sy
ndrome patient presents even more deviant alterations. Our finding sup
ports the idea that platelets may provide a systemic marker of AD, and
eventually be useful for the clinical diagnosis of the disease.