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Pharmacopsychiatry 2006; 39(6): 220-228
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-954591
Original Paper

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Apoptosis of CD4+ T and Natural Killer Cells in Alzheimer's Disease

K. Schindowski 1 , 2 , J. Peters 3 , C. Gorriz 3 , 6 , U. Schramm 3 , T. Weinandi 3 , S. Leutner 1 , K. Maurer 3 , L. Frölich 3 , 5 , W. E. Müller 1 , A. Eckert 1 , 4
  • 1Institute of Pharmacology, Biocenter, Johann Wolfgang-Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
  • 2Present address: INSERM U815, Université Lille 2, Faculté de Médecine, Institut de Médecine Prédictive et Recherche Thérapeutique, Lille Cedex, France
  • 3Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I, Johann Wolfgang-Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
  • 4Present address: Psychiatric University Clinic Basel, Basel, Switzerland
  • 5Central Institute for Mental Health, Monnhein, Germany
  • 6Department of Psychiatry, University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received 25. 5. 2006 Revised 18. 7. 2006

Accepted 25. 7. 2006

Publication Date:
23 November 2006 (online)

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Background: Immunotherapy appears to be a potent treatment against Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanisms underlying neural-immune interaction are still not known. Methods: Here, we determined cell death and distribution of lymphocyte subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in AD and aging, e.g. T (CD4+CD3+, CD8+CD3+), B (CD19+) and NK (CD16++CD56+) cells. Results: Increased apoptosis was found in CD4+ T and NK cells in AD, while in aging all subsets were affected. The expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl2 correlated with observed cell death in T-helper and B cells irrespective of dementia. The levels of Bcl2 in T-cells were significantly increased in mild AD. Apoptosis and Bcl2 levels were also elevated in the APP751SL × PS1M146L transgenic mouse model. Conclusion: The mechanisms triggering apoptosis and activation of lymphocytes in AD appear therefore to be different than those in immunosenescence and possibly bear an important biomarker to monitor immunotherapy in AD.

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Correspondence

Katharina Schindowski

INSERM U815

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59045 Lille Cedex

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Phone: +33/320/62 20 74

Fax: +33/320/62 20 79

Email: Katharina.Schindowski@lille.inserm.fr