Cerebrospinal fluid levels of α-tocopherol and neopterin in patients with dementia

Abstract

In patients with different forms of dementia we compared serum and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of α-tocopherol (vitamin-E), the major circulating lipid-soluble antioxidant, and neopterin, a product released from monocytic cells upon stimulation with interferon-γ. A significant inverse correlation was found between the concentrations of both compounds in the cerebrospinal fluid. The data point to a role of oxidative stress to reduce antioxidant levels in elderly demented patients with neurodegenerative diseases.