Premium
Anticardiolipin antibodies are associated with cognitive dysfunction in stroke‐free individuals
Author(s) -
Homayoon N.,
Schwingenschuh P.,
Hofer E.,
KatschnigWinter P.,
Schmidt R.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
european journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1468-1331
pISSN - 1351-5101
DOI - 10.1111/ene.12316
Subject(s) - medicine , cohort , stroke (engine) , quartile , isotype , hyperintensity , risk factor , cognition , magnetic resonance imaging , antibody , psychiatry , immunology , radiology , mechanical engineering , confidence interval , engineering , monoclonal antibody
Background and purpose The presence of anticardiolipin antibodies (a CL s) has been associated with vascular occlusive events. The role of a CL s as a risk factor for stroke has been a matter of debate, and scarce information exists on the relationship between a CL s and other cerebral disorders. Reports exist for seizures, chorea and subtle cognitive dysfunction. The association between a CL s and cognition was further explored and the relationship between a CL titres and brain magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) findings was evaluated in a large cohort of community‐dwelling individuals. Methods The study cohort was drawn from the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study. A total of 1895 subjects had a complete risk factor assessment and measurement of a CL titres in serum. Participants were classified as a CL positive if either the immunoglobulin G ( I g G ) or I g M a CL titres were elevated ( I g G > 21 U/ml, I g M > 12 U/ml). All subjects were also categorized based on the quartile distribution of I g G and I g M isotype titres. All underwent cognitive testing by the Mini Mental State Examination ( MMSE ) and a random sample of 947 participants also underwent brain MRI . Results a CL positive participants performed worse on the MMSE . Ig G but not I g M isotype titres related to worse performance on the MMSE . No significant association existed with vascular brain abnormalities including lacunes, cortical infarcts and white matter lesions. Conclusions These data support the view that in normal elderly persons increasing I g G a CL titres relate to global cognitive dysfunction. It is unlikely that structural brain lesions are responsible for this finding.