Correlation between abnormal cellular immune and changes of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

AbstractNeuroinflammation in brain and immune-related cells in peripheral blood may be involved in the occurrence and development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aims to explore the correlation between the abnormality of cellular immune function and the changes of neurotransmitters. 32 AD cases and 40 Vascular dementia (VD ) cases were studied. Lymphocyte subsets in plasma were detected by flow cytometry. IL-1β and caspase-1 were detected by ELISA. NLRP3 was detected by Western blot. N-cetyl aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and inositol (MI) equivalence in bilateral hippocampi of patients were examined by MRS. Single-factor correlation analysis was conducted between NAA/Cr or MI/Cr and the proportion of T lymphocyte subsets or NK cell subsets. The proportion of T lymphocyte subsets in the AD group was significantly decreased than that in the non-dementia elderly control (UDE) group (P < 0.01). Caspase-1 and IL-1β protein in the AD group were significantly increased. NLRP3 protein in the AD group were significantly increase. In terms of NAA/Cr ratio or NAA/Cr ratio in the AD group was lower than that in UDE group. The NAA/Cr ratio was significantly positively correlated with the MMSE score (r = 0.81, P < 0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between NAA/Cr ratio and T lymphocyte ratio. The NAA/Cr ratio was significantly negatively correlated with the proportion of NK cells in the blood. There was a significant negative correlation between the MI/Cr ratio and the ratio of T cells in the blood. Abnormal neuroimmune function may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD and affect the metabolism of neurotransmitters such as aspartic acid and inositol in the brain of AD patients.