Journal Article

T Cell Response to Amyloid-β and to Mitochondrial Antigens in Alzheimer’s Disease

Giubilei, Franco, Montesperelli, Chiara, Cannoni, Stefania, Pichi, Alessandra, Antonini, Giovanni, Buttinelli, Carla, Salvetti, Marco, Ristori, Giovanni, Tisei, Paolo, Sepe-Monti, Micaela, Prencipe, Massimiliano, Casini, Anna Rosa

2003

Overview

Despite the vast amount of literature on non-specific immune mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), little is known about the role of antigen-specific immune responses. We investigated T cell reactivity to fragment 1–42 of amyloid-β (Aβ) and to N-terminal peptides of human mitochondrial and control microbial proteins. Thirty subjects with a diagnosis of probable AD according to NINCDS-ADRDA criteria and 30 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. T cell responses to Aβ fragment showed no significant differences between AD patients and controls. By contrast, the mean number of positive T cell responses to both human mitochondrial and microbial peptides was significantly decreased in AD patients compared to control subjects. No significant correlation was found between T cell responses and both the severity of cognitive impairment and duration of the disease. Our results suggest that antigen-specific immune responses are impaired in AD. Protective immune responses to harmful amyloidogenic substances may also be impaired, thus favoring their accumulation in the brain.

• Publisher: Karger
• Subject: Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Alzheimer Disease - immunology / Amyloid beta-Peptides - immunology / Amyloidosis - immunology / Autoantigens - immunology / Biological and medical sciences / Brain - immunology / Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases / Female / Humans / Male / Medical sciences / Middle Aged / Mitochondria - immunology / Neurology / Original Research Article / Peptide Fragments - immunology / T-Lymphocytes - immunology