Serum auto-antibodies in Alzheimer's disease.

The prevalence and clinical significance of non-CNS auto-antibodies in the serum of patients with probable and possible Alzheimer's disease (AD) was determined. Serum was obtained from 88 patients and 55 normal controls. Serum from each subject was tested for the presence of seven different auto-antibodies. Auto-antibodies were detected in 44% of the subjects with probable AD, 70% with possible AD with cerebrovascular disease (CVD), 45% with possible AD and other disease and 42% of normal controls. Although a subpopulation of AD patients with CVD showed a trend to an increased predisposition to develop autoimmune disease, these results do not support the relationship of AD and serum auto-antibodies or autoimmune disease.