Geneticists Link Immune System to an Early Onset of Alzheimer’s
From Times staff and wire reports
A gene that usually helps control the body’s immune system may hasten the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study of 207 patients by Dr. Gary Small of UCLA and his co-workers.
They found that people with a particular form of a gene governing the immune responses of white blood cells--the gene is called HLA-A2--experienced symptoms three years sooner than other patients.
The study, published this week in the journal Neurology, underscores a growing belief among scientists that the immune system may play a role in some cases of Alzheimer’s, which affects 4 million Americans.
