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A high plasma concentration of TNF-alpha is associated with dementia in centenarians
Bruunsgaard H, Andersen-Ranberg K, Jeune B, Pedersen AN, Skinhøj P, Pedersen BK.. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 1999-07-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background Inflammatory mechanisms and immune activation have been hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of age-associated diseases such as dementia and atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the plasma concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in a large cohort of centenarians and to look for its possible associations with cognitive function, atherosclerosis, and general health status. Furthermore, we investigated whether the concentration of TNF-alpha was correlated with the blood concentration of leucocyte subsets or the plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, soluble TNF receptor 11 (sTNFR-H) (75 kDa) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods Plasma TNF-alpha was measured by ELISA in 126 centenarians, 45 subjects aged 81 years, 23 subjects aged 55-65 years, and 38 subjects aged 18-30 years. Atherosclerosis was evaluated by the ankle-brachial blood pressure index, and general health status was evaluated by the body mass index and the number of diagnoses present. Results The concentration of TNF-alpha was significantly increased in 126 centenarians compared to younger control groups, and a high concentration of TNF-alpha was associated with both Alzheimer's disease and generalized atherosclerosis in the centenarians. The concentration of TNF-alpha was positively correlated with the concentrations of plasma IL-6, sTNFR-II, and CRP. No associations were found with increased leucocyte subsets or the body mass index. Conclusion This study demonstrates that, even in apparently healthy subjects, age-associated immune activation indicated by raised levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines may reflect age-associated pathological processes that develop over decades.
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APA 7th
Bruunsgaard, H., Andersen-Ranberg, K., Jeune, B., Pedersen, A. N., Skinhøj, P., & Pedersen, B. K. (1999). A high plasma concentration of TNF-alpha is associated with dementia in centenarians. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/54.7.m357
Vancouver
Bruunsgaard H, Andersen-Ranberg K, Jeune B, Pedersen AN, Skinhøj P, Pedersen BK. A high plasma concentration of TNF-alpha is associated with dementia in centenarians. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 1999. doi:10.1093/gerona/54.7.m357. PMID: 10462168.
BibTeX
@article{bruunsgaard1999-10462168,
author = {Bruunsgaard, H. and Andersen-Ranberg, K. and Jeune, B. and Pedersen, A. N. and Skinhøj, P. and Pedersen, B. K.},
title = {{A high plasma concentration of TNF-alpha is associated with dementia in centenarians}},
journal = {The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences},
year = {1999},
doi = {10.1093/gerona/54.7.m357},
pmid = {10462168},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/54.7.m357}
}
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Key findings
- Results The concentration of TNF-alpha was significantly increased in 126 centenarians compared to younger control groups, and a high concentration of TNF-alpha was associated with both Alzheimer's disease and generalized atherosclerosis in the centenarians.
Why it matters
In this group of centenarians, a high blood level of TNF-alpha was linked to both Alzheimer's disease and hardened arteries. This is an association only and does not show that lowering TNF-alpha would treat or prevent dementia.
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Study details
- Participants45
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Journals of Gerontology Series A: journal h-index 274 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1999 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 45 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 461 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.9 citations a year over 29 year(s) since 1999 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 22 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Bente Klarlund Pedersen: h-index 151 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Copenhagen: institution h-index 1,378 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 10462168) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
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