Serum lipid levels in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Title (croatian): Koncentracija serumskih lipida u bolesnika s Alzheimerovom bolesti
• Author: Paola Presečki
• Author: Dorotea Mück-Šeler
• Author: Ninoslav Mimica
• Author: Nela Pivac
• Author: Maja Mustapić
• Author: Tamara Stipčević
• Author: Vera Folnegović Šmalc
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences

Abstract (english)

The role of lipids in the aetiology and progress of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is still unclear. High lipid levels could be one of the risk factors for AD, but no association or even protective effects of high cholesterol levels in the development of the AD were also found. The aim of the study was to determine serum levels of total cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) in female patients with AD and in healthy elderly controls. The 50 patients met the diagnostic criteria of probable AD according to the NINDS-ADRDA and DSM-IV criteria. Cognitive impairment was evaluated using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Patients were subdivided into two groups of 19 patients in the middle (MMSE 10-19) and 31 patients in the late (MMSE 0-9) phase of AD. Psychotic and non-psychotic features, evaluated by means of Neuropsychiatric Inventory, were presented in 13 and 37 patients with AD, respectively. Control group consisted of 58 subjects without cognitive impairment (MMSE >27) and with lipid levels within normal range. Serum lipid levels were determined by the enzymatic colour tests and by the enzymatic clearance assay. Significantly lower lipid levels were found in patients with AD, than in controls. Patients in the late phase of AD had significantly lower entire lipid profile than controls and significantly lower cholesterol and LDL-C levels than patients in the middle stage of AD. There was no difference in lipid levels between patients with and without psychotic features. The significant positive correlations were found between MMSE scores and cholesterol, LDL-C levels and age in all AD patients. The results support the presumption that lipid profile might be connected with the aetiology and progress of AD and showed the association between low serum cholesterol and LDL-C levels and cognitive decline in patients with AD. Further studies are needed to confirm the relationship between lipid levels and cognition, and to validate the lipid profile as a biological marker for the progress of AD.

Abstract (croatian)

Uloga lipida u etiologiji i razvoju Alzheimerove bolesti (AB) još uvijek je nejasna. Rezultati dosadašnjih istraživanja su pokazali da ne postoji povezanost između serumskih lipida i kognitivnih promjena u oboljelih od AB, ali i protektivni pa čak i pozitivni učinak povišenih vrijednosti serumskih lipida u razvoju AB. Cilj istraživanja bio je odrediti vrijednosti ukupnog serumskog kolesterola, lipoproteina velike gustoće (HDL-C), lipoproteina male gustoće (LDL-C) i triglicerida (TG) u 50 žena oboljelih od AB i u 58 zdravih žena starije životne dobi. Dijagnoza vjerojatne AB postavljena je na temelju NINDS-ADRDA i DSM-IV kriterija. Težina kognitivnog oštećenja je procijenjena pomoću Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Bolesnice su podijeljene u skupinu od 19 bolesnica u srednjoj (MMSE 10-19) i u skupinu od 31 bolesnice u kasnoj (MMSE 0-9) fazi AB. U procjeni psihotičnih simptoma korištena je Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Psihotički simptomi su bili prisutni u 13 bolesnica, a bez psihotičkih simptoma bilo je 37 bolesnica. Kontrolna skupina bila je sastavljena od žena starije životne dobi bez kognitivnog oštećenja (MMSE>27) i s normalnim rasponom koncentracije serumskih lipida. Vrijednosti serumskih lipida određene su enzimatskim testovima. U bolesnica s AB opažene su značajno niže vrijednosti serumskih lipida od onih u serumu kontrolne skupine. Bolesnice u kasnoj fazi AB imale su značajno niže vrijednosti svih serumskih lipida od kontrolne skupine, te značajno niže vrijednosti ukupnog kolesterola i LDL-C od oboljelih u srednjoj fazi bolesti. Vrijednosti serumskih lipida nisu bile povezane s psihotičnim simptomima. Opažena je mala, ali značajna pozitivna korelacija između bodova MMSE i vrijednosti kolesterola ili LDL-C, te između MMSE i životne dobi bolesnica. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju da bi vrijednosti serumskih lipida mogle biti povezane s etiologijom i razvojem AB. Pokazana je povezanost između niskih vrijednosti serumskog kolesterola i LDL-C i kognitivnog propadanja u oboljelih od AB. Neophodna su daljnja istraživanja kako bi se ustanovilo da li bi vrijednosti serumskih lipida mogle biti biološki pokazatelj progresije AB.

• Keywords (english): Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease / blood; Case-Control Studies; Cholesterol / blood; Female; Humans; Lipoproteins / blood; Male; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Triglycerides / blood
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Collegium Antropologicum
• Numbering: vol. 35, no. S. 1, pp. 115-120
• p-ISSN: 0350-6134
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:371347
• Publication: 2011-01
• Document URL: https://hrcak.srce.hr/64053
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-03-28 12:02:44