Ultrastructural and Molecular Investigation on Peripheral Leukocytes in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

Thriving literature underlines white blood cell involvement in the inflammatory processes of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Among leukocytes, lymphocytes have been considered sentinels of neuroinflammation for years, but recent findings highlighted the pivotal role of neutrophils. Since neutrophils that...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Roberta Giannelli, Paola Canale, Renata Del Carratore, Alessandra Falleni, Margherita Bernardeschi, Francesca Forini, Elisa Biagi, Olivia Curzio, Paolo Bongioanni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-04-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/9/7909
Description
Summary:Thriving literature underlines white blood cell involvement in the inflammatory processes of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Among leukocytes, lymphocytes have been considered sentinels of neuroinflammation for years, but recent findings highlighted the pivotal role of neutrophils. Since neutrophils that infiltrate the brain through the brain vascular vessels may affect the immune function of microglia in the brain, a close investigation of the interaction between these cells is important in understanding neuroinflammatory phenomena and the immunological aftermaths that follow. This study aimed to observe how peripheral leukocyte features change at different stages of AD to identify potential molecular markers when the first features of pathological neurodegeneration arise. For this purpose, the examined patients were divided into Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and severely impaired patients (DAT) based on their Cognitive Dementia Rating (CDR). The evaluation of the neutrophil-to-lymphocytes ratio and the morphology and function of leukocytes showed a close relationship between the ultrastructural and the molecular features in AD progression and suggested putative markers for the early stages of the disease.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067