Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. In AD, monocytes migrate across the blood-brain barrier and differentiate into microglia, are linked to inflammatory responses and display age-dependent decreases in telomere lengths. METHODS: Six monocyte-specific chemokines and the (telomere-associated) tumor suppressor proteins p53 and p21 were determined by multiplex immunoassay in plasma and monocyte extracts of patients with AD or mild cognitive impairment, and levels were compared between patients and controls (without cognitive impairment). RESULTS: CCL15 (macrophage inflammatory protein-1δ), CXCL9 (monokine-induced by interferon-γ) and p21 levels were decreased in monocytes of AD patients compared with controls. CONCLUSION: The combination of monocytic CCL15 and p21 together with the Mini-Mental State Examination enables to differentiate AD patients from controls with high specificity and sensitivity.