Small G W
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA.
J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59 Suppl 9:7-14.
Despite consensus on clinical and neuropathologic definitions of Alzheimer's disease, limited information is available on its causes and pathogenesis. Current data suggest interactions among the various possible biological and environmental influences that result in a common pathway leading to the disease. Biological influences include genetic mutations causing the disease phenotype and polymorphisms contributing to disease risk. Alterations in immune or inflammatory responses may also represent biological influences. Various environmental influences that may interact with endogenous biological factors include education, traumatic injury, oxidative stress, drugs, and hormone replacement. The author describes some recent findings that suggest possible pathogenic mechanisms, which may eventually have important treatment implications.
尽管在阿尔茨海默病的临床和神经病理学定义上已达成共识，但关于其病因和发病机制的信息仍然有限。目前的数据表明，各种可能的生物学和环境影响之间存在相互作用，这些相互作用导致了导致该疾病的共同途径。生物学影响包括导致疾病表型的基因突变和增加疾病风险的多态性。免疫或炎症反应的改变也可能代表生物学影响。可能与内源性生物因素相互作用的各种环境影响包括教育、创伤性损伤、氧化应激、药物和激素替代。作者描述了一些最近的发现，这些发现提示了可能的致病机制，这些机制最终可能对治疗具有重要意义。
