ERYTHROCYTE AGING IN THE DEMENTED ELDERLY - A FLUCTUATING PROCESS

Measurement of erythrocyte aging parameters in patients with dementia indicates that an Alzheimer-related disturbance of the erythrocyte agi ng process may not be detectable until in the more advanced stages of the disease. Also, a strong fluctuation in the values of erythrocyte a ging parameters, over a period of 15 months, was observed in patients with dementia, but not in age-matched control donors. This fluctuation was independent of the type and stage of dementia, and its cause rema ins to be elucidated. Such variability hampers the use of erythrocyte aging characteristics for the diagnosis of dementia. On the other hand , the aging-related erythrocyte IgG content may be a sensitive biomark er for disturbed systemic homeostasis in the elderly. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science Ireland Ltd.