Affiliations: [a] Neuropathology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Hospital Santo António - Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal | [b] Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal | [c] ICVS/3B’s Associate Lab, PT Government Associated Lab, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal | [d] Department of Neurology, Hospital Santo António - Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Ricardo Taipa, MD, Neuropathology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Hospital Santo António - Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal. Tel.: +351 222077500 (Hospital); +351 222077512 (Lab); Fax: +351 226050215; E-mails: rtaipa.neuropat@chporto.min-saude.pt, ricardotaipa@gmail.com.
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder and is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. Cumulative data suggests that neuroinflammation plays a prominent and early role in AD, and there is compelling data from different research groups of age-associated dysregulation of the neuroimmune system. From the clinical point of view, despite clinical resemblance and neuropathological findings, there are important differences between the group of patients with sporadic early-onset (<65 years old) and late-onset AD (>65 years old). Thus, it seems important to understand the age-dependent relationship between neuroinflammation and the underlying biology of AD in order to identify potential explanations for clinical heterogeneity, interpret biomarkers, and promote the best treatment to different clinical AD phenotypes. The study of the delicate balance between pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory sides of immune players in the different ages of onset of AD would be important to understand treatment efficacy in clinical trials and eventually, not only direct treatment to early disease stages, but also the possibility of establishing different treatment approaches depending on the age of the patient. In this review, we would like to summarize what is currently known about the interplay between “normal” age associated inflammatory changes and AD pathological mechanisms, and also the potential differences between early-onset and late-onset AD taking into account the age-related neuroimmune background at disease onset.
