Abstract
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 radioreceptorassay), and the lymphocyte subpopulations (by cytofluorimetry). Results are expressed in terms of median and range. In Alzheimer’s disease, plasma cortisol was higher than in controls (median 0.74, range 0.47–1.21 vs 0.47, 0.36–0.77 mmol/L; p<0.001). Plasma DHEAS, the DHEAS/cortisol ratio, and the number of type II corticosteroid receptors were significantly lower in AD than in controls (DHEAS: median 1.81, range 0.21–3.69 vs 3.51, 1.35–9.07 µmol/L; DHEAS/cortisol: 2.04, range 0.3–5.8 vs 6.8, range 2.7–24 and type II receptors: 1219, 1000–2700 vs 1950, 1035–2750 receptors per cell; p<0.001). No correlation was found between the hormonal parameters, age, and minimental test score. These data support the hypothesis of a dysregulation of the adrenal pituitary axis in Alzheimer’s disease, which is probably the consequence of damage to target tissues by corticosteroids.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dodt, C., Dittmann, J., Hruby, J., et al. (1991). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 72, 272–276.
Armanini, D., Karbowiak, I., Scali, M., Orlandini, E., Zampollo, V., and Vittadello, G. (1992). Am. J. Physiol. 262, E464-E466.
Seeman, T. E. and Robbins, R. J. (1994). Endocr. Rev. 15, 233–260.
Sapolski, R. M. and McEwen, B. S. (1988). In: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: physiology, pathophysiology and psychiatric implications. Schatzberg, A. and Nemeroff, C. (eds.). Raven Press: New York.
Sapolsky, R. M., Krey, L. C., and McEwen, B. S. (1986). Endocr. Rev. 7, 284–301.
Raskind, M., Peskind, E., Rivard, M. F., Veith, R., and Barnes, A. R. (1982). Am. J. Psychiatry 139, 1468–1471.
Lupien, S. J., de Leon, M., de Santi, S., et al. (1998). Nat. Neurosci. 1, 329.
Armanini, D., Spinella, P., Simoncini, M., et al. (1998). J. Endocrinol. 158, 435–439,
Funder, J. W. (1996). Clin. Endocrinol. 45, 651–656.
Wilkinson, C. W., Peskind, E. R., and Raskind, M. A. (1997). Neuroendocrinol. 65, 79–90.
Doraiswamy, P. M., Krishnan, K. R., and Nemeroff, C. B. (1991). Baillieres Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 5, 59–77.
Heneka, M. T., Galea, E., Gavriluyk, V., et al. (2002). J. Neurosci. 22, 2434–2442.
Lyness, S. A., Zarow, C., and Chui, H. C. (2003). Neurobiol. Aging 24, 1–23.
Petrie, E. C., Peskind, E. R., Dobie, D. J., Veith, R. C., and Raskind, M. A. (2001). Psychoneuroendocrinology 26, 147–164.
Yau, J. L., Noble, J., Kenyon, C. J., et al. (2001). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 4716–4721.
Lowy, M. T. (1991). J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 39, 147–154.
Nijhuis, E. W., Oostervink, F., Hinloopen, B., Rozing, J., and Nagelkerken, L. (1996). Brain Behav. Immun. 10, 115–125.
Baulieu, E. E. (1996). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 81, 3147–3151.
Leblhuber, F., Windhager, E., Neubauer, C., Weber, J., Reisecker, F., and Dienstl, E. (1992). Am. J. Psychiatry 140, 1125–1126.
Allolio, B. and Arlt, W. (2002). Trends Endocrinol. Metab. 13, 288–294.
Thomas, G., Frenoy, N., Legrain, S., Sebag-Lanoe, R., Baulieu, E. E., and Debuire, B. (1994). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 79, 1273–1276.
Regelson, W. and Kalimi, M. (1995). Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 774, 564–575.
Birkenhaeger-Gillesse, G. E., Derksen, J., and Legay, A. M. (1995). Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 774, 543–552.
Carlson, L. E., Sherwin, B. B., and Chertkow, H. M. (2000). Horm. Behav. 35, 254–263.
Wolf, O. T. and Kirschbaum, C. (1999). Brain Res. Rev. 30, 264–288.
Ferrari, E., Cravello, L., Muzzoni, B., et al. (2001). Eur. J. Endocrinol. 144, 319–329.
Rupprecht, R., Frolich, L., Mergenthaler, T., et al. (1990). Psychiatry Res. 34, 237–241.
Murialdo, G., Nobili, F., Rollero, A., et al. (2000). Neuropsychobiology 42, 51–57.
Umegaki, H., Ikari, H., Nakahata, H., et al. (2000). Brain Res. 881, 241–243.
Pardes, E. M., De Yampey, J. W., Soto, R. J., Moses, D. F., and De Nicola, A. F. (1989). Acta Endocrinol. (Copenh.) 120, 55–61.
Pardes, E., De Yampey, J. E., Moses, D. F., and De Nicola, A. F. (1991). J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 39, 233–238.
Linder, J., Nolgard, P., Nasman, B., Back, O., Uddhammar, A., and Olsson, T. (1993). Gerontology 39, 200–206.
Masera, R. G., Prolo, P., Sartori, M. L., et al. (2002). Psychoneuroendocrinology 27, 447–461.
Armanini, D., Witzgall, H., Wehling, M., Kuhnle, U., and Weber, P. C. (1987). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 65, 101–104.
Ritchie, K. and Lovestone, S. (2002). Lancet 360, 1759–1766.
Vijg, J. (1990). Aging 2, 105–123.
Landfield, P. W. and Eldridge, J. C. (1991). Acta Endocrinol. (Copenh.) 125, 54–64.
Armanini, D. (1994). J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 9, 429–434.
Roberts, H. G. (1994). In: The biologic role of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Kalimi, M. and Regelson, W. (eds.). Walter de Gruyter: New York.
Sunderland, T., Merril, C. R., Harrington, M. G., et al. (1989). Lancet 2, 570.
Westermann, J. and Pabst, R. (1990). Immunol. Today 11, 406–410.
Weiner, M. F., Vobach, S., Olsson, K., Svetlik, D., and Risser, R. C. (1997). Biol. Psychiatry 42, 1030–1038.
American Psychiatric Association (1993). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th ed. (DSM4) APA Press: Washington, DC.
McKhann, G., Drachman, D., Folstein, M., Katzman, R., Price, D., and Stadlan, E. M. (1984). Neurology 34, 939–944.
Armanini, D., Strasser, T., and Weber, P. C. (1985). Am. J. Physiol. 248, E388-E390.
Armanini, D., Strasser, T., and Weber, P. C. (1985). J. Endocrinol. Invest. 8, 45–47.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Armanini, D., Vecchio, F., Basso, A. et al. Alzheimer’s disease. Endocr 22, 113–118 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1385/ENDO:22:2:113
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/ENDO:22:2:113