Increased intrathecal inflammatory activity in frontotemporal dementia: pathophysiological implications

• Published in: International immunology 2004-08, Vol.16 (8), p.1107-1111
• Main Authors: Sjoegren, M, Folkesson, S, Blennow, K, Tarkowski, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0953-8178; 1460-2377

OBJECTIVE: Immunological mechanisms may be part of the pathophysiological mechanisms in frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but hitherto only vague evidence of such mechanisms has been presented. The aim of this study was to compare the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 beta and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha , and the anti-inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)- beta in patients with FTD and normal controls. Furthermore, serum levels of TNF- alpha , TGF- beta , and IL-1 beta were measured in FTD patients. METHODS: The CSF levels of IL-1 beta , TNF alpha , and TGF- beta were measured using ELISA in 19 patients with FTD and 24 sex and age matched healthy controls. RESULTS: The CSF levels of TNF- alpha (FTD 0.6 pg/mL (median: lower, upper quartile 0.3, 0.7); controls: 0.0 pg/mL (0.0, 0.0); p = 0.008) and TGF- beta (FTD 266 pg/mL (157, 371), controls: 147 pg/mL (119, 156); p = 0.0001) were significantly increased in FTD patients compared with controls. No correlations were found between CSF and serum levels of the cytokines. In the controls, but not in the FTD patients, a positive correlation was found between the CSF levels of TGF- beta and age (r = 0.42, p