J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2005 Jul;44(4):497-504.

Cell Viability and Proliferation Activity of Peripheral Lymphocytes in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

• Lee S
• Kwon YA
• Kim H
• Chung SH
• Jo S
• Kim DK

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
There are evidences of apoptotic neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies suggested AD pathogenesis in the central nervous system as well as in peripheral lymphocytes. The object of this study is to compare the cell viability and the proliferation activity in AD patients with healthy normal control by using peripheral lymphocytes.
METHODS
We analyzed the cell viability and the proliferation activity of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated lymphocytes from 73 AD patients and 31 normal contols. The cell viability and the proliferation activity were measured at baseline (T0), 24 hours (T24), 48 hours (T48), 72 hours (T72), 96 hours (T96), by the tryphan blue method and the BrdU proliferation activity method, respectively.
RESULTS
The cell viability of PHA-activated peripheral lymphocytes in AD patients was significantly decreased at T72, T96 compared with healthy controls (F=8.034, p<0.001). In AD patients, the decline of proliferation activity appeared in earlier than healthy normal controls.
CONCLUSION
This study suggests that there is a decreased cell viability and the proliferation activity of peripheral lymphocytes in AD patients. These finding may be related with the increased apoptosis in Alzheimer's disease.

Keyword

Alzheimer's disease; Cell viability; Proliferation activity; Peripheral lymphocytes

MeSH Terms

Alzheimer Disease*
Apoptosis
Bromodeoxyuridine
Cell Death
Cell Survival*
Central Nervous System
Humans
Lymphocytes*
Neurons
Bromodeoxyuridine