F. Licastro et al., INCREASED CHEMILUMINESCENCE RESPONSE OF NEUTROPHILS FROM THE PERIPHERAL-BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH SENILE DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMERS TYPE, Journal of neuroimmunology, 51(1), 1994, pp. 21-26
The metabolic activity of circulating neutrophils from patients with s
enile dementia of the Alzheimer's type (SDAT) was investigated by a ch
emiluminescence assay and compared with that of old and young healthy
controls. Neutrophils from demented patients showed a higher and faste
r chemiluminescence emission than those of controls when activated in
vitro by autologous or heterologous sera. Granulocytes from patients w
ith Parkinson's disease did not show an increased chemiluminescence ac
tivity. Moreover, serum from patients with SDAT depressed the chemilum
inescence emission of granulocytes, from young donors. Serum levels of
alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin (alpha(1)-ACT) were also determined and wer
e found to be higher in demented subjects than in old and young contro
ls. These data suggest that peripheral and systemic indexes of inflamm
ation are present in the disease and might be associated with mental d
eterioration.