McGeer E G, McGeer P L
Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Department of Psychiatry University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3.
Mol Interv. 2001 Apr;1(1):22-9.
Over the past fifteen years, evidence has been accumulating that there is a chronic inflammatory reaction in areas of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease. Chronic inflammation, which arises in reaction to an underlying pathology, represents a threat in its own right, wherever it may occur, and can in fact surpass primary affronts upon tissues. The brain, however, is particularly vulnerable because neurons are generally irreplaceable. In the case of Alzheimer's disease, inflammatory processes thus have the potential for turning a relatively slowly progressing condition into one characterized by rapid neurodegeneration.
在过去十五年间，越来越多的证据表明，在受阿尔茨海默病影响的脑区存在慢性炎症反应。慢性炎症是对潜在病理状况的反应，无论发生在何处，其本身都构成一种威胁，实际上它对组织的损害可能超过最初的侵害。然而，大脑特别脆弱，因为神经元通常是不可替代的。就阿尔茨海默病而言，炎症过程有可能将一种进展相对缓慢的病症转变为以快速神经退行性变特征的病症。
