The understanding of how the immune system works, as well as its relationship with the stress level, seems to be important at the start of the Alzheimer's disease (AD). To analyze this, immunoglobulin A (IgA) and cortisol in saliva were measured using ELISA in patients with mild AD and healthy volunteers, and the production of both biomarkers was compared and correlated. In participants without AD, IgA was higher when cortisol was lower, and the opposite happened in participants with AD, with the quantification in saliva being a suitable method to determine it.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; cortisol; immune system; immunoglobulin A; stress.