We investigated IL-10 and IL-6 production in amyloid-β (Aβ) stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in twenty Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with slow progression, eleven with fast progression, and twenty age-matched controls. Promoter polymorphisms in IL-10 (position -592, -819, -1082), IL-6 (-174), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) (-10, -25), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) (-874), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (-308) genes were analyzed. IL-10 production after Aβ stimulation was high in PBMCs from slow decliners and almost completely abrogated in fast decliners. Association between AA IFN-γ low-producing genotype and fast progression was demonstrated. Investigations in a larger sample will clarify these findings.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; IFN-γ; disease progression; interleukin-10; interleukin-6; peripheral blood mononuclear cells; single nucleotide polymorphisms.