Correlation between metal ions and clinical findings in subjects affected by Alzheimer's disease.

There is a growing interest to evaluate metals in biological fluids in Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are numerous studies on this theme, but just few papers analyzed the relationship between haematic metal concentrations and the clinical features of the disease. In this study, possible associations between clinical features of AD and the variations in serum and blood concentration of some metals, as well as the serum oxidative status and the antioxidant capacity have been investigated. Sixty subjects with AD were enrolled. Some elements correlated with gender, depression and duration of the disease. However, the most significant result was the relationship between blood Ca and Fe levels and the severity of cognitive impairment. We hypothesize that Ca and Fe might play an important role in the pathogenetic mechanisms of AD.