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Dementia and antiphospholipid antibodies.
1Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
|January 12, 2000
Summary
Elevated antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLAb) were found in 6% of elderly dementia patients but none of the controls. This suggests aPLAb may play a role in dementia development, particularly Alzheimer's type.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLAb) are linked to brain damage and dementia.
- The specific association between aPLAb and dementia in the elderly requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLAb) and dementia in an elderly population.
- To determine if elevated aPLAb levels are more prevalent in individuals with dementia compared to cognitively healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 87 dementia patients and 69 elderly controls.
- Standardized ELISA was used to measure aPLAb levels, with >20 IgG antiphospholipid units (GPLU) considered significantly elevated.
Main Results:
- Significantly elevated aPLAb levels were detected in 5 (6%) of dementia patients, versus 0% in controls (p=0.03).
- Patients with elevated aPLAb were primarily diagnosed with Alzheimer's type dementia.
- No patients with elevated aPLAb showed signs of immune-mediated disease.
Conclusions:
- A significant association exists between elevated antiphospholipid antibodies and dementia in the elderly.
- Antiphospholipid antibodies may contribute to the pathogenesis of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's type.
- The precise role of aPLAb in elderly patients with diffuse brain disease remains to be elucidated.