Inflammatory changes in early dementia with Lewy bodies.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimmunology
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Synucleinopathies

Background:

• Inflammatory changes are documented in Parkinson's disease (PD), but less is known about Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB).
• Previous studies suggest inflammatory responses in DLB, but immune cell changes in early stages remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate immune cell alterations in the early stages of Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB).
• To explore potential inflammatory markers in Mild Cognitive Impairment-Lewy Bodies (MCI-LB) as an early indicator of DLB.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory cohort of nine Mild Cognitive Impairment-Lewy Bodies (MCI-LB) subjects was compared to de novo Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls.
• Clinical assessments included the Movement Disorder Society-United Parkinson's Disease rating scale (MDS-UPDRS) and cognitive tests.
• Blood samples were analyzed using flow cytometry and cytokine/chemokine assays.

Main Results:

• MCI-LB subjects exhibited significantly poorer cognitive composite scores compared to PD participants.
• A notable 60% reduction in mature neutrophils was observed in MCI-LB subjects compared to healthy controls.
• Differences in smell identification, activities of daily living, and MDS-UPDRS scores were found between groups.

Conclusions:

• This exploratory study reveals changes in innate immune cells in MCI-LB compared to healthy controls.
• The findings suggest potential immune cell alterations in the earliest stages of DLB.
• Larger cohort studies are required to validate these preliminary findings.