Plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol (cerebrosterol) is increased in Alzheimer and vascular demented patients
Lütjohann D, Papassotiropoulos A, Björkhem I, Locatelli S, Bagli M, Oehring RD, Schlegel U, Jessen F et al.. Journal of lipid research, 2000-02-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal cell loss associated with membrane cholesterol release. 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24S-OH-Chol) is an enzymatically oxidized product of cholesterol mainly synthesized in the brain. We tested the hypothesis that plasma levels of this oxysterol could be used as a putative biochemical marker for an altered cholesterol homeostasis in the brain of AD patients. Thirty patients with clinical criteria for AD, 30 healthy volunteers, 18 depressed patients, and 12 patients with vascular dementia (non-Alzheimer demented) were studied. Plasma concentrations of 24S-OH-Chol were assayed by isotope dilution;-mass spectrometry, cholesterol was measured enzymatically, and apolipoprotein E (apoE) was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction and restricted fragment length polymorphism. The concentration of 24S-OH-Chol in AD and non-Alzheimer demented patients was modestly but significantly higher than in healthy controls and in depressed patients. There was no significant difference in the concentrations of 24S-OH-Chol between depressed patients and healthy controls nor between AD and non-Alzheimer demented patients. The apoE straightepsilon4 allele influences plasma 24S-OH-Chol. However, this influence could be completely accounted for by the elevated plasma cholesterol in apoE4 hetero- or homozygotes. Plasma 24S-OH-Chol levels correlated negatively with the severity of dementia. AD and vascular demented patients appear to have higher circulating levels of 24S-OH-Chol than depressed patients and healthy controls. We speculate that 24S-OH-Chol plasma levels may potentially be used as an early biochemical marker for an altered cholesterol homeostasis in the central nervous system. 24S-hydroxycholesterol (cerebrosterol) is increased in Alzheimer and vascular demented patients.
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APA 7th
Lütjohann, D., Papassotiropoulos, A., Björkhem, I., Locatelli, S., Bagli, M., Oehring, R. D., et al. (2000). Plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol (cerebrosterol) is increased in Alzheimer and vascular demented patients. Journal of lipid research. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-2275(20)32052-6
Vancouver
Lütjohann D, Papassotiropoulos A, Björkhem I, Locatelli S, Bagli M, Oehring RD, et al. Plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol (cerebrosterol) is increased in Alzheimer and vascular demented patients. Journal of lipid research. 2000. doi:10.1016/s0022-2275(20)32052-6. PMID: 10681402.
BibTeX
@article{lutjohann2000-10681402,
author = {Lütjohann, D. and Papassotiropoulos, A. and Björkhem, I. and Locatelli, S. and Bagli, M. and Oehring, R. D. and Schlegel, U. and Jessen, F. and others},
title = {{Plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol (cerebrosterol) is increased in Alzheimer and vascular demented patients}},
journal = {Journal of lipid research},
year = {2000},
doi = {10.1016/s0022-2275(20)32052-6},
pmid = {10681402},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-2275(20)32052-6}
}
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Key findings
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal cell loss associated with membrane cholesterol release. 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24S-OH-Chol) is an enzymatically oxidized product of cholesterol mainly synthesized in the brain.
- The concentration of 24S-OH-Chol in AD and non-Alzheimer demented patients was modestly but significantly higher than in healthy controls and in depressed patients.
- There was no significant difference in the concentrations of 24S-OH-Chol between depressed patients and healthy controls nor between AD and non-Alzheimer demented patients.
Why it matters
Plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol was modestly but significantly higher in Alzheimer and vascular dementia patients than in healthy controls or depressed patients, with no significant difference between the two dementia groups. This suggests a possible biochemical marker related to brain cholesterol, but it is not a treatment or prevention and the authors describe it only as a putative marker.
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Study details
- Participants12
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of lipid research) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Lipid Research: journal h-index 324 (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 | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2000 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 12 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 382 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.6 citations a year over 28 year(s) since 2000 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 12 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 14 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Reinhard Heun: h-index 62 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 10681402) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
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