Characterization and functional studies of lipoproteins, lipid transfer proteins, and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase in CSF of normal individuals and patients with Alzheimer's disease.

We investigated the lipoprotein distribution and composition in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a group of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or affected by other types of dementia in comparison to non-demented controls. We found slightly decreased apolipoprotein (apo)E and cholesterol concentrations in CSF of AD patients and moderately increased apoA-I concentrations, while in patients suffering from other types of dementia the apoA-I CSF concentration was increased. ApoA-IV concentrations varied widely in human CSF, but were not associated with any clinical condition.