Low Plasma Cholinesterase Activities are Associated with Deficits in Spatial Orientation, Reduced Ability to Perform Basic Activities of Daily Living, and Low Body Mass Index in Patients with Progressed Alzheimer’s Disease

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Dingova, Dominika^a | Fazekas, Tomas^b | Okuliarova, Petra^a | Strbova, Jaroslava^c | Kucera, Matej^a | Hrabovska, Anna^{a; d; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia | [b] Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia | [c] Kardio-Sanus Ltd., Bratislava, Slovakia | [d] Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Anna Hrabovska, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy of Comenius University, Odbojarov 10; 832 32 Bratislava, Slovakia. Tel.: +421 2 50 117 377; Fax: +421 50 117 100; E-mail: hrabovska@fpharm.uniba.sk.

Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a central cholinergic deficit. Non-neuronal cholinergic changes are, however, described as well. Here we focused on possible changes in the activity of the plasma cholinesterases, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), in hospitalized AD patients. We analyzed plasma AChE and BChE activities with regards to age, gender, body mass index (BMI), cognitive functions, and ability to perform activities of daily living in AD patients in comparison to healthy subjects. We observed lower AChE activity and trend toward lower BChE activity in AD patients, which both correlated with low BMI. AD patients unable to perform basic activities of daily living (feeding, bathing, dressing, and grooming) showed reduced plasma AChE activities, while worse spatial orientation was linked to lower BChE activities. Three out of four AD patients with the lowest BChE activities died within one year. In conclusion, progressed AD was accompanied by lower plasma AChE activity and trend toward lower BChE activity, which correlated with BMI and deficits in different components of the AD.

Keywords: Activities of daily living, Alzheimer’s disease, body mass index, cholinesterases, cognition, spatial orientation

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-151060

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 801-813, 2016