Can Infections Cause Alzheimer's Disease?
- Reference from AMICOR Maria Inês Reinert Azambuja
- ↵*Correspondence to Dr. Robert Wallace, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, 105 River St. Iowa City, IA 52242 (e-mail: robert-wallace@uiowa.edu).
- Abbreviations: Aβ, β-amyloid; AD, Alzheimer's disease; ApoE4, apolipoprotein ɛ4; APP, amyloid precursor protein; CNS, central nervous system; CSF, cerebral spinal fluid; HSV-1, herpes simplex virus type 1; PCR, polymerase chain reaction.
- Accepted October 16, 2012.
Abstract
Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia among older adults, yet more than a century of research has not determined why this disease develops. One prevailing hypothesis is that late-onset AD is caused by infectious pathogens, an idea widely studied in both humans and experimental animal models. This review examines the infectious AD etiology hypothesis and summarizes existing evidence associating infectious agents with AD in humans. The various mechanisms through which different clinical and subclinical infections could cause or promote the progression of AD are considered, as is the concordance between putative infectious agents and the epidemiology of AD. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases for research articles pertaining to infections and AD and systematically reviewed the evidence linking specific infectious pathogens to AD. The evidence compiled from the literature linking AD to an infectious cause is inconclusive, but the amount of evidence suggestive of an association is too substantial to ignore. Epidemiologic, clinical, and basic science studies that could improve on current understanding of the associations between AD and infections and possibly uncover ways to control this highly prevalent and debilitating disease are suggested.
3 comments:
Much more attention needs to be focused on this important area.
Dr Alan MacDonald was the first to identify Borrelia DNA in Alzheimer brains his work can be found on his website http://alzheimerborreliosis.net/ with on going investigation into his Hypothesis that Plaques of Alzheimer disease originate from cysts of Borrelia Burgdorferi http://alzheimerborreliosis.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/PlaquesAlz.pdf
Prof Judith Miklossy has also found Borrelia In the brains of Alzheimer brains. She went further to publish Alzheimer disease a Neurospirochetosis http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186%2F1742-2094-8-90 her website is very interesting to read http://www.miklossy.ch/
WHAT IS THE GREATEST VOID TO DATE IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE?
'The fact that pathogens may suppress, subvert or evade host defenses and establish chronic or latent infection has received little attention in the past. Increasing number of recent observations show the involvement of pathogens in various chronic inflammatory disorders, e.g. in stomach ulcer, atherosclerosis, cardio- and cerebrovascular disorders, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and Alzheimer's disease. This emerging field of research needs more attention.'
and
'It is established that chronic bacterial infection can cause dementia, therefore, it is our obligation to investigate whether a causal link exists between chronic bacterial infection and Alzheimer dementia.
Historic and recent observations indicate that various types of spirochetes are involved in Alzheimer’s disease and cause dementia and beta amyloid deposition. Prompt action, attention and a strong support are needed. Similarly to syphilitic dementia, Alzheimer’s disease might be prevented.'
Similar work in the field of Peridontal Disease found in Alzheimer brains was published last year from research done at Lancashire University Dental college http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24059310
Much more needs to be done in this important field.
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