Altered levels of plasma 24S- and 27-hydroxycholesterol in demented patients

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 368; no. 3; pp. 303 - 308
• Main Authors: Kölsch, H., Heun, R., Kerksiek, A., Bergmann, K.v., Maier, W., Lütjohann, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 30-09-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Alzheimer’s disease; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Cholesterol; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Dementia - blood; Depression; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hydroxycholesterols - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mild cognitive impairment; Neurology; Vascular dementia; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Brain; Depression; Vascular dementia; Alzheimer’s disease; Mild cognitive impairment; Cholesterol; Mood disorder; Human; Nervous system diseases; Alzheimer disease; Lipids; Cerebral disorder; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; mild cognitive impairment; Alzheimer's disease
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.07.031

Alterations in brain cholesterol metabolism and reduced 24S-hydroxycholesterol plasma levels have been described in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). We hypothesize that changes in peripheral cholesterol metabolism, such as alterations in the plasma levels of 27-hydroxycholesterol, might also be involved. Plasma levels of 24S-hydroxycholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol in patients suffering from dementing disorders such as AD, VD, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were compared to those in age- and cholesterol matched non-demented and depressed subjects. Cholesterol corrected concentrations of plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol were significantly reduced in patients with dementing disorders compared to non-demented subjects and depressed patients. A strong positive correlation between plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol levels was observed. The ratios of plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol to 27-hydroxycholesterol were higher in patients with dementing disorders compared to non-demented subjects. Our results support the observation, that cholesterol metabolism is altered in dementing disorders, indicated by different plasma concentrations of brain specific and peripherally produced oxysterols.