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Changes in phospholipid composition of erythrocyte membrane in Alzheimer's disease
Shinji Oma1, Shiro Mawatari, Kazuyuki Saito
1Department of Neurology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
Background:
There are several reports indicating a decrease of ethanolamine plasmalogen (pl-PE) in brain tissues and in serum of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study aimed to examine the composition of erythrocyte phospholipids including pl-PE in patients with AD.
Method:
A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method that can separate intact plasmalogens and all other phospholipid classes by a single chromatographic run was used.
Results:
The ratios of pl-PE, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) to sphingomyelin were low as compared to those of the age-matched controls.
Conclusion:
These changes in erythrocyte phospholipids may reflect changes induced by oxidative stress, indicating the presence of high oxidative stress in the peripheral blood of AD patients.