Background: Numerous studies have indicated the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the exact role of inflammatory markers in AD is still unclear.
Objective: The main objective of the current study was to find out the association between the level of inflammatory markers and AD.
Material and methods: The relevant articles have been extracted from PubMed as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. The mean value with standard deviation and number of participants in AD and control groups were extracted from relevant articles. The inverse variance was used as a statistical method and standard mean difference (SMD) as effect measure with 95% C.I. The random effect model was used and all analyses were done using Rev. Man 5.0.
Results: A total of 38 articles have been found relevant and selected for analysis. The overall estimate results have shown that the level of IL-6, TGF-β1, and IL-1α were increased significantly in AD patients as compared to the control group among all other pro-inflammatory, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators.
Conclusion: The findings of the current study suggest that IL-6, TGF-β1, and IL-1α may be a useful early marker in AD. However, further studies are required to confirm the exact utility of these inflammatory markers.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Biomarkers; Inflammation; Inflammatory mediators.
© 2021. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.