Biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease: from central nervous system to periphery?

Oxidative Stress and Its Clinical Applications in Dementia

Dementia is a complex disorder that mostly affects the elderly and represents a significant and growing public health burden in the world. Alzheimer's disease (AD)- associated dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are the most common forms of dementia, in which oxidative stress is significantly involved. Oxidative stress mechanisms may have clinical applications, that is, providing information for potential biomarkers. Thus brain-rich peptides with an antioxidant property, such as CART (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript), may be promising new markers. This paper summarizes the progress in research regarding oxidative stress in dementia with a focus on potential biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the main forms of dementia. Other central and peripheral biomarkers, especially those considered oxidative stress related, are also discussed. This paper aims to provide information to improve current understanding of the pathogenesis and progression of dementia. It also offers insight into the differential diagnosis of AD and DLB.

Paradigm shift in treatment of Alzheimer's disease: zinc therapy now a conscientious choice for care of individual patients

Breakthrough in treatment of Alzheimer's disease with a shift from irrational dangerous chelation therapy to rational safe evidence based oral zinc therapy. Evidence based medicine: After synthesizing the best available clinical evidence I conclude that oral zinc therapy is a conscientious choice for treatment of free copper toxicosis in individual patients with Alzheimer's disease. Hypothesis 1: Age related free copper toxicosis is a causal factor in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. There are 2 neurodegenerative diseases with abnormalities in copper metabolism: (a) the juvenile form with degeneration in the basal ganglia (Wilson's disease) and (b) the age related form with cortical neurodegeneration (Alzheimer's disease). Initially the hypothesis has been that neurodegeneration was caused by accumulation of copper in the brain but later experiences with treatment of Wilson's disease led to the conviction that free plasma copper is the toxic form of copper: it catalyzes amyloid formation thereby generating oxidative stress, free radicals and degeneration of cortical neurons. Hypothesis 2: Oral zinc therapy is an effective and safe treatment of free copper toxicosis in Alzheimer's disease. Proposed dosage: 50 mg elementary zinc/day. Warning: Chelation therapy is irrational and dangerous in treatment of copper toxicosis in Alzheimer's disease.