Peripheral inflammatory markers indicate microstructural damage within periventricular white matter hyperintensities in Alzheimer's disease: A preliminary report

Abstract Introduction White matter hyperintensities (WMH) presumed to reflect cerebral small vessel disease and increased peripheral inflammatory markers are found commonly in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their interrelationships remain unclear. Methods Inflammatory markers were assayed in 54 elderly participants ( n = 16 with AD). Periventricular WMH were delineated from T1, T2/proton density, and fluid‐attenuated magnetic resonance imaging using semiautomated fuzzy lesion extraction and coregistered with maps of fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of microstructural integrity assessed using diffusion tensor imaging. Results Mean FA within periventricular WMH was associated with an inflammatory factor consisting of interleukin (IL)‐1β, tumor necrosis factor, IL‐10, IL‐21, and IL‐23 in patients with AD (ρ = −0.703, P = .002) but not in healthy elderly (ρ = 0.217, P = .190). Inflammation was associated with greater FA in deep WMH in healthy elderly (ρ = 0.425, P = .008) but not in patients with AD (ρ = 0.174, P = .520). Discussion Peripheral inflammatory markers may be differentially related to microstructural characteristics within the white matter affected by cerebral small vessel disease in elders with and without AD.