CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID CARNITINE LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

We assessed free carnitine (FC) and acylcarnitine esters (AC) in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma from 24 patients with diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and from 28 healthy matched-con trols. We found no significant correlation between FC and AC levels in CSF. FC and AC levels in CSF did not differ significantly between AD patients and controls, but plasma FC levels were significantly lower i n AD patients. CSF and plasma FC and AC levels did not correlate with age, age at onset of AD, duration of AD, and scores of the Minimental State Examination of Folstein. Although these results suggest that CSF carnitine levels are apparently unrelated with the risk for AD, the t rend of the FC/AC ratio to be higher in AD patients might suggest the possibility of a lower carnitine acetyltransferase activity in AD, as previously reported in some brain areas. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V .