Alzheimer's disease: pathophysiological implications of measurement of plasma cortisol, plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and lymphocytic corticosteroid receptors.

Alzheimer's disease is often characterized by an increase in plasma cortisol without clinical evidence of hypercorticism. Twenty-three consecutive patients with Alzheimer's disease and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied by measuring plasma cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) (by enzyme immunoassay), the number of type I and type II corticosteroid receptors in mononuclear leukocytes (by radio-receptor-assay), and the lymphocyte subpopulations (by cytofluorimetry). Results are expressed in terms of median and range.