RELATIONSHIP OF INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA AND BETA(2)-MICROGLOBULIN WITH NEUROPEPTIDES IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER-TYPE

We studied interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), beta2-MiCroglobulin (beta2-M), beta-endorphin, substance P, neuropeptide Y and somatostatin concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of 13 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), 13 patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID) and 15 age-matched control subjects. Substance P was significantly lower in DAT than in controls (P < 0.05), as well as somatostatin in DAT as compared to both controls (P < 0.01) and MID (P < 0.05), whereas beta2-M was higher in DAT than in controls (P < 0.01). Neuropeptide Y, beta-endorphin and IL-1beta showed similar concentrations in the three groups studied. A significantly positive correlation was observed between IL-1beta and substance P (r = 0.79, P < 0.01) and somatostatin (r = 0.75, P < 0.05) in DAT, which was not observed in MID. In addition, beta2-M showed a negative correlation with IL-1beta (r = -0.73, P < 0.05) in DAT, and age correlated negatively with IL-1beta in controls and MID, but positively in DAT. Therefore, these results support the idea that an altered relationship may exist in Alzheimer's disease between the nervous and immune system.