Background: In Japan, vascular dementia (VD) has been responsible for the majority of all dementia cases in both epidemiological and neuropathological studies. Recently, however, several epidemiological investigations have shown that the rate of VD has decreased and senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) is now the major cause of dementia, though few neuropathological investigations show that the majority of dementia is SDAT. Objective: The purpose of the study was to clarify the rates of dementia types in Japanese nursing home residents and to compare the ratio of SDAT to VD in the first and second halves of the study. Methods: One hundred and twenty-two demented nursing home residents (48 men and 74 women) were evaluated neuropathologically over a period of 17 years in Shimane prefecture, Japan. All subjects died between 1976 and 1992. The average age at death was 81.4 ± 9.4 years for men, 85.0 ± 7.2 for women and 83.6 ± 8.3 for total samples. Results: In classifying dementia type, SDAT accounted for 34% (41 cases); VD 35% (42); mixed dementia 11% (14); and ‘other’ dementia 20% (25) of all samples. Comparison of the first 9-year period with the second 8-year period revealed the ratio of SDAT to VD tended to increase (from 0.83 to 1.15). This increasing tendency was found both in men (from 0.53 to 0.7) and in women (from 1.13 to 1.44). These tendencies, however, were not statistically significant. Conclusion: There was no change statistically in the ratio of SDAT to VD between the first half of the study and the second half. However, there was an increasing tendency of the ratio in our study.

1. Changes in the content of striatal interleukins (IL-1 beta and IL-6) and serum corticosterone in relation to deterioration of the dopaminergic system induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP; a dopaminergic neurotoxin; 20 mg/kg i.p., four administrations/12 h) in C57BL/6J mice were investigated. 2. Striatal dopamine, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and serum corticosterone were measured on days 1 and 7 post-MPTP. 3. Dopamine depletion was more severe on day 7 than on day 1 post-treatment. 4. Increases in IL-6 were observed on days 1 and 7 post-MPTP. The increase in striatal IL-6 content varied with the extent of dopamine depletion, although the IL-1 beta concentration remained unchanged compared with control values on days 1 and 7 post-treatment. 5. Serum corticosterone was not different from control on day 1 post-MPTP. However, marked increases in the serum corticosterone were observed on day 7 post-treatment. 6. These results suggest that changes in striatal IL-6 and serum corticosterone are closely associated with the severity of MPTP-induced dopaminergic degeneration.

We have found previously that the relationship between the urinary contents of α₁-microglobulin (α₁M) and ulinastatin (UT) in patients with mood disorder differs from that of age-matched healthy subjects. However, it has yet to be determined whether or not the difference in the relation correlates with the contents of the free forms of α₁M and UT in serum and whether changes in the existing forms of α₁M and UT in serum reflect the actual disease states. The relation between serum contents of the free forms of α₁M and UT in 10 patients with mood disorders was different from that of 17 age-matched healthy subjects. The regression plot between scores of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and ratios of the free form content to total content (F/T ratio) of UT was more informative on the depressive state than that of α₁M. The F/T ratios of UT may afford a useful objective index in monitoring the diseased state of a patient with mood disorder.

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