Age-Associated Changes of Brain Copper, Iron, and Zinc in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Graham, Stewart F.^{a; 1} | Nasaruddin, Muhammad Bin^a | Carey, Manus^a | Holscher, Christian^b | McGuinness, Bernadette^c | Kehoe, Patrick G.^d | Love, Seth^d | Passmore, Peter^c | Elliott, Christopher T.^a | Meharg, Andrew A.^a | Green, Brian D.^{a; *}

Affiliations: [a] Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK | [b] Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Furness Building, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK | [c] Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK | [d] Dementia Research Group, Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, UK

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Dr. Brian D. Green, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Nutrition, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland Technology Centre, Cloreen Park, Belfast BT9 5HN, Northern Ireland. Tel.: +31 2890 976541; Fax: +31 2890 976513; E-mail: [email protected].

Note: [1] Current address: Beaumont Research Institute, Royal Oak, MI, USA.

Abstract: Disease-, age-, and gender-associated changes in brain copper, iron, and zinc were assessed in postmortem neocortical tissue (Brodmann area 7) from patients with moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 14), severe AD (n = 28), dementia with Lewy bodies (n = 15), and normal age-matched control subjects (n = 26). Copper was lower (20%; p < 0.001) and iron higher (10–16%; p < 0.001) in severe AD compared with controls. Intriguingly significant Group*Age interactions were observed for both copper and iron, suggesting gradual age-associated decline of these metals in healthy non-cognitively impaired individuals. Zinc was unaffected in any disease pathologies and no age-associated changes were apparent. Age-associated changes in brain elements warrant further investigation.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, brain, copper, dementia, iron, Lewy body, trace elements, zinc

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-140684

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 1407-1413, 2014