Neurology -- Correspondence for Assini et al., 63 (5) 828-831

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ARTICLES:
A. Assini, S. Cammarata, A. Vitali, M. Colucci, L. Giliberto, R. Borghi, M. L. Inglese, S. Volpe, S. Ratto, F. Dagna-Bricarelli, C. Baldo, A. Argusti, P. Odetti, A. Piccini, and M. Tabaton
Plasma levels of amyloid ß-protein 42 are increased in women with mild cognitive impairment
Neurology 2004; 63: 828-831 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Plasma levels of amyloid ß-protein 42 are increased in women with mild cognitive impairment: Kurt A. Jellinger, Imrich Blasko, and Peter Fischer (15 December 2004)

Plasma levels of amyloid ß-protein 42 are increased in women with mild cognitive impairment 15 December 2004

Kurt A. Jellinger,
Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Vienna, Austria
Kenyongasse 18, A-1070 Vienna, Austria,
Imrich Blasko, and Peter Fischer
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Re: Plasma levels of amyloid ß-protein 42 are increased in women with mild cognitive impairment

kurt.jellinger{at}univie.ac.at Kurt A. Jellinger, et al.

Assini et al [1] report a significant increase of plasma amyloid beta (A beta) 42 levels in women with MCI in comparison to affected men and age-matched controls. The levels were independent of education, apolipoprotein E genotype, cholesterol, creatinine, and hemoglobin concentrations, suggesting that they may represent a biologic explanation for the sex-dependent increased incidence of AD in women.
The influence of concomitant medication and relations to atrophy of the temporal lobe were not considered. It is well known that plasma A beta 42 levels increase with age and are occasionally elevated during early AD stages [2,3], but, to the best of our knowledge, influences of concomitant medication have not been discussed.
In the ongoing Vienna Transdanube Aging (VITA) study, a prospective population-based study of individuals aged 75 years in eastern Vienna, Austria [4], we have studied associations between medication use and plasma A beta 42. Our preliminary observations show lower levels of A beta 42 in women compared to men, and women taking estrogen had lower levels than women not taking estrogen. Since 90% of our study population were users of some of the mentioned drugs, the influence of medications on plasma A beta 42 should be considered when testing it as a risk factor for AD.
References
1. Assini A, Cammarata S, Vitali A, et al. Plasma levels of amyloid beta-protein 42 are increased in women with mild cognitive impairment. Neurology 2004;63:828-831.
2. Fukumoto H, Tennis M, Locascio JJ, Hyman BT, Growdon JH, Irizarry MC. Age but not diagnosis is the main predictor of plasma amyloid beta-protein levels. Arch Neurol 2003;60:958-964.
3. Mayeux R, Tang MX, Jacobs DM, et al. Plasma amyloid beta-peptide 1-42 and incipient Alzheimer's disease. Ann Neurol 1999;46:412-416.
4. Jungwirth S, Fischer P, Weissgram S, Kirchmeyr W, Bauer P, Tragl KH. Subjective memory complaints and objective memory impairment in the Vienna-Transdanube aging community. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:263-268.