Anti-heparan sulphate antibodies and homocysteine in dementia: markers of vascular pathology?

Increasing evidence supports a pathogenic role of heparan sulphate (HS) in the development of dementia. Since HS proteoglycans are present in the endothelial cells and perivascular basement membrane, we wanted to assess blood titres of HS antibodies (Abs) in patients with vascular dementia (VD) and in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) [mixed dementia (MixD)]. Moreover, plasma levels of homocysteine, an independent risk factor for the development of dementia as well as for CVD, were also determined. High HS Abs titres were present in one patient with VD and in two patients with mixed dementia, as well as in two neurological control patients (stroke and epilepsy). Increased homocysteine levels were found in 62.5% of patients with mixed dementia, in 22.2% of the VD subjects, in 54.2% of patients with CVD, and in 41.2% of patients with other neurological diseases. The present findings suggest that neither elevated HS Abs titres nor increased homocysteinemia may represent a useful biochemical marker for the diagnosis of VD.