Proinflammatory cytokines, sickness behavior, and Alzheimer disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In Alzheimer disease (AD), systemic inflammation is known to give rise to a delirium. However, systemic inflammation also gives rise to other centrally mediated symptoms in the absence of a delirium, a concept known as sickness behavior. Systemic inflammation is characterized by the systemic production of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) that mediate immune to brain communication and the development of sickness behavior.

Objective

To determine if raised serum TNFα or IL-6 are associated with the presence of sickness behavior symptoms, independent of the development of delirium, in a prospective cohort study of subjects with AD.

Methods

A total of 300 subjects with mild to severe AD were cognitively assess

SUBMITTER: Holmes C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3136056 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature