Dementia: Autoantibodies Damage Blood Vessels in the Brain
Date: 1.8.2012
The presence of specific autoantibodies of the immune system is associated with blood vessel damage in the brain. The researchers' results suggest that autoimmune mechanisms play a significant role in the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.
Antibodies are the defense molecules of the body's immune system against foreign invaders. If the antibodies cease to distinguish between "foreign" and "self," they attack the cells of the own body, and are thus referred to as autoantibodies. These can trigger autoimmune diseases. Using MR angiography and other methods, Marion Bimmler and her colleagues have now shown that the autoantibodies bind to specific surface proteins (alpha1 andrenergic receptors) of vascular cells and thereby damage the blood vessels of the brain. The reason: The autoantibodies generate a continual stimulation of the receptor and at the same time trigger an increase in intracellular calcium ion levels. As a result, the blood vessel walls thicken, and blood flow to the brain is disturbed.
