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Comparative Study
. 2003;15(4):207-11.
doi: 10.1159/000068780.

Correlation between intrathecal sulfatide and TNF-alpha levels in patients with vascular dementia

E Tarkowski  1 , M Tullberg, P Fredman, C Wikkelsö
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Correlation between intrathecal sulfatide and TNF-alpha levels in patients with vascular dementia

E Tarkowski et al. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2003.

Abstract

Objectives: Subcortical vascular dementia (SVD) is associated with white matter lesions and demyelination. The aim of the present study was to examine the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of TNF-alpha, a proinflammatory cytokine mediating myelin damage, in SVD patients. The intrathecal TNF-alpha levels were related to the clinical symptoms of dementia, as well as to intrathecal levels of sulfatide, a marker of white matter degradation, and of neurofilament, a marker of neuronal degeneration.

Methods: CSF levels of TNF-a, sulfatide and neurofilament were all analyzed by immunoenzymatic procedures in 17 patients with SVD and in 26 healthy controls.

Results: The intrathecal concentration of TNF-alpha was significantly increased in SVD patients compared to healthy controls (p = 0.0001). The intrathecal levels of TNF-alpha were significantly correlated (r = 0.6, p = 0.02) to the levels of sulfatide, but not to the levels of neurofilament, (r = 0.08, NS).

Conclusions: We have demonstrated intrathecal production of TNF-alpha in SVD patients. The correlation between TNF-a and sulfatide levels in the CSF suggests that this apoptosis-inducing cytokine leads to the death of oligodendrocytes, thereby contributing to white matter degeneration, a hallmark of SVD.

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