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The Protein of Oral Epithelium Increases in Alzheimer's Disease

^a Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
^b Diagnostic Department of Research and Development Center, Nissho Corporation, Shiga, Japan

Hideyuki Hattori, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Daigaku 1-1, Uchinada-Machi, Kahoku-Gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan E-mail: hideyuki{at}kanazawa-med.ac.jp.

Decision Editor: John E. Morley, MB, BCh

Background. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an important problem that should be solved in the 21st century. Prior to treatment, a simple and easy diagnostic method using biological markers should be available. As a method to attain this goal, we detected and determined protein in oral mucosal epithelium.

Methods. Oral epithelium was exfoliated from 34 patients with AD or 29 patients with vascular dementia, and 33 young and 34 age-matched controls. Western blot was performed for determining the molecular weight of oral protein. The protein level was determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF was also measured and compared with oral .

Results. Western blot analysis using an anti–non-phosphorylated -protein antibody showed two bands, one at 65 Kd and the other at 110 Kd. The -protein level in oral epithelia showed a significant positive correlation with those in the CSF (p < .05). The patients with AD had significantly higher levels of protein than the patients with vascular dementia and the controls (p < .01). AD patients with a younger age at onset of the study showed a higher level of the protein than the patients with later age at onset (p < .05).

Conclusions. Like other nonneural tissues, oral epithelium contains small and big . The protein in oral epithelium reflects the pathological changes, as does the CSF . Individuals who develop AD may have had high levels of the protein in oral mucosal epithelium since early childhood. The -protein level in oral epithelia could be helpful in diagnosing AD.

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