Serum β-secretase 1 (sBACE1) activity in subjective cognitive decline: an exploratory study.

β-Secretase-1 (BACE1) plays a key role in the regulation of cerebral amyloid-β homeostasis, being involved in amyloidogenic and, as recently found, amyloidolytic pathways. Growing evidence indicates that increased serum BACE1 (sBACE1) activity might represent an early biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. Here, we tested the hypothesis that an increase in sBACE1 activity may already occur in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD).

Neutrophil-Lymphocytes Ratio as Potential Early Marker for Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a noninvasive, inexpensive, and easily applicable marker of inflammation. Since immune dysregulation leading to inflammation is regarded as a hallmark of dementia, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD), we decided to investigate the potentials of NLR as a diagnostic and predictive biomarker in this clinical setting.

Materials And Methods: NLR was measured in the blood of patients with AD ( = 103), amnestic type mild cognitive impairment (aMCI,  = 212), vascular dementia (VAD,  = 34), and cognitively healthy Controls ( = 61).

Age, Sex, Hypertension and HDL-C Alter Serum BACE1 Activity in Cognitively Normal Subjects: Implications for Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that β-secretase 1 (BACE1) activity and concentration in blood are candidate biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Investigating potential demographic, biological, and clinical determinants of BACE1 in the blood matrix is the critical step to validate and qualify BACE1 bio-indicators for different contexts-of-use (CoU), such as risk assessment, early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, management of AD, and outcome of amyloid pathway targeted drugs.

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of age, sex, HDL-cholesterol and comorbidities (cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes) on circulating BACE-1 activity.

Fulminant hepatitis associated with hepatitis A virus superinfection in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection rarely causes fulminant hepatic failure in people with no underlying liver disease. There are limited data on the course of this infection in patients with chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C.

Methods: We prospectively followed, from June 1990 to July 1997, 595 adults with biochemical and histologic evidence of chronic hepatitis B (163 patients) or chronic hepatitis C (432 patients) who were seronegative for HAV antibodies.