Altered Levels of Acetylcholinesterase in Alzheimer Plasma

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008701
• Publication Date: 2010-01-13T23:05:07Z
• Authors: María-Salud Garcí...; Iolanda Riba-Llena; Carol Serra-Basante; Jordi Alom; Rathnam Boopathy; Javier Sáez-Valero
• Keywords: Butyrylcholinesterase; Cholinesterase

Background Many studies have been conducted in an extensive effort to identify alterations blood cholinesterase levels as a consequence of disease, including the analysis acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plasma. Conventional assays using selective inhibitors not particularly successful excess amounts butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) pose major problem. Principal Findings Here we estimated AChE activity human plasma by first immunoprecipitating BuChE and measuring immunodepleted Human were ∼20 nmol/min/mL, about 160 times lower than BuChE. The majority species are light G1+G2 forms G4 tetramers. pattern molecular similar that observed individuals with silent We also compared enzyme obtained from liver, red cells, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) brain, sedimentation analysis, Western blotting lectin-binding analysis. Finally, increase was detected Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients age gender-matched controls. This correlates forms, subset which increased brain. blot demonstrated 78 kDa immunoreactive protein band plasma, attributed part AChE-T subunits common brain CSF. Conclusion Plasma might potential indicator progress prognosis AD warrants further investigation.