AN EVALUATION OF HUMAN NEUROPHYSIN PRODUCTION IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE -PRELIMINARY-OBSERVATIONS

The concentrations of human neurophysins in the cerebrospinal fluid (C SF) of nine patients with Alzheimer's disease: Preliminary observation s. (AD), and one patients with Pick's disease, were determined using s pecific radioimmunoassays (RIAs). Concentrations of vasopressin and ox ytocin were also measured. Values were compared with those from 20 age -matched mentally normal individuals who were being treated for back p ain. CSF levels of vasopressin-associated human neurophysin (VP-HNP) a nd oxytocin-associated human neurophysin (OT-HNP) in patients with AD (22 +/- 4 fmol/ml and 104 +/- 17 fmol/ml) were only 42% and 58% of tho se in the control subjects (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0004). Vasopressin level s for these patients (3.6 +/- 0.4 fmol/ml) were also significantly red uced to 51% of controls (p < 0.007) and oxytocin levels were marginall y (p = 0.092) reduced to 70% of controls. Because neurophysins and neu ropeptides are gene-related products of vasopressin-neurons and oxytoc in-neurons, the data indicate that these neurons are functionally impa ired in patients with AD. Plasma neurophysin values suggest this impai rment is confined to neurons with centrally-directed axons. Data from the one patient with Pick's disease demonstrates that reduced CSF leve ls of neurophysins and hormones is not confined to Alzheimer-type deme ntia.