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Alzheimer's Disease: Erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate Content and Circulating Erythropoietin
Petter Järemo1,2, Alenka Jejcic1,2, Vesna Jelic3,4
1Department of Internal Medicine, Vrinnevi Hospital, Norrköping, Sweden.
Background:
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) features the accumulation of β-amyloid in erythrocytes. The subsequent red cell damage may well affect their oxygen-carrying capabilities. 2,3- diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) binds to the hemoglobin thereby promoting oxygen release. It is theorized that 2,3-DPG is reduced in AD and that the resulting hypoxia triggers erythropoietin (EPO) release.
Methods & Objective:
To explore this theory, we analyzed red cell 2,3-DPG content and EPO in AD, mild cognitive impairment, and the control group, subjective cognitive impairment.
Results:
We studied (i) 2,3-DPG in red cells, and (ii) circulating EPO in AD, and both markers were unaffected by dementia. Disturbances of these oxygen-regulatory pathways do not appear to participate in brain hypoxia in AD.