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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Cryopreservation and Bioenergetic Evaluation of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Published on: October 20, 2023
Oxidative imbalance and cathepsin D changes as peripheral blood biomarkers of Alzheimer disease: a pilot study
Elisabetta Straface1, Paola Matarrese, Lucrezia Gambardella
1Department of Drug Research and Evaluation, Section of Cell Aging and Degeneration, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
Markers of oxidative stress in peripheral blood from patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) were analyzed. Thirty-three AD patients were recruited. Plasma antioxidant power (AOP), plasma Cystatin C as well as Cathepsin D in PBL were evaluated. We found that the AOP levels were significantly decreased in AD patients if compared to healthy donors, while the plasma level of Cystatin C was significantly higher. Importantly, a significantly decreased expression of Cathepsin D in PBL was also observed. These results suggest that oxidative imbalance in the peripheral blood of AD patients could mirror oxidative changes previously described in the central nervous system.
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