Role of Autoantibodies in Neurodegenerative Dementia: An Emerging Association

In the background of an emerging role for immune dysregulation in neurodegenerative dementias, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between systemic autoimmunity and dementia. The objective was to study the frequency and profile of disease-specific autoantibodies in Alzheimer's dementia (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Immunological testing was performed in a large cohort of neurodegenerative dementia diagnosed based on standard clinical and imaging criteria. Patients were evaluated for the presence of autoantibodies specific for systemic autoimmune diseases that included anti-extractable nuclear antibody profile, rheumatoid factor antibody (RA), perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA), and cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (c-ANCA) in serum.

Of 174 patients with degenerative dementia (FTD = 114, AD = 53, and DLB = 7) evaluated with immunological testing, 18.9% (n = 33) were seropositive for autoantibodies. The common antibodies detected were anti-Scl-70 (25%), anti-Ro-52 (18.7%), anti-nRNP-Sm (12.5%), and anti-CENP-B (9.3%). There were no significant systemic complaints in the majority of patients. A wider range of antibodies were positive in FTD compared to AD and DLB. While no difference was observed in the mean age, sex, or duration of illness between seropositive and negative patients, family history of dementia was more frequent among seronegative patients.

Our findings indicate an emerging role for immune dysregulation in patients with classical neurodegenerative dementias, especially those with FTD. These autoantibodies could play a role in immune degradation of protein aggregates that characterize neurodegeneration. Study findings emphasize the need to explore the complex relationship between systemic autoimmunity and neurodegenerative dementia.