PEPTIDE HISTIDINE METHIONINE IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH SENILE DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER-TYPE

Immunoreactivities (IRs) of peptide histidine methionine (PHM) as well as somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the cerebr ospinal fluid (CSF) were measured in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) and age-matched control subjects. We found s tatistically significant reductions in the PHM-IR and somatostatin-IR levels in the CSF from patients with SDAT, as compared with those of t he controls. However, the VIP-IR level in the CSF from SDAT was not di fferent from that of the controls. These results suggest that selectiv e degeneration of neurons containing somatostatin and PHM or the alter ation in metabolism of PHM in the CSF might occur in SDAT.