Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Sep 16, 2024; 12(26): 6001-6003
Published online Sep 16, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i26.6001
T lymphocyte proportion in Alzheimer’s disease prognosis
Matthew Willman, Gopi Patel, Brandon Lucke-Wold
Matthew Willman, Gopi Patel, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
Brandon Lucke-Wold, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
Co-corresponding authors: Matthew Willman and Brandon Lucke-Wold.
Author contributions: Willman M was responsible for conception of original paper outline of content. He designed out format of the paper and drafted the paper including discussing the overview of the paper discussed and it’s limitations. Willman M was responsible for all revisions and communication with the publisher; Patel G was responsible for drafting the paper including the section discussing the limitations of the paper being discussed; Lucke-wold B was responsible for conception of original paper content outline. He also overlooked the revision of the paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: Https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Matthew Willman, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States. matthewwillman@ufl.edu
Received: April 17, 2024
Revised: June 23, 2024
Accepted: July 15, 2024
Published online: September 16, 2024
Processing time: 96 Days and 11.1 Hours
Abstract

Bai et al investigate the predictive value of T lymphocyte proportion in Alzheimer's disease (AD) prognosis. Through a retrospective study involving 62 AD patients, they found that a decrease in T lymphocyte proportion correlated with a poorer prognosis, as indicated by higher modified Rankin scale scores. While the study highlights the potential of T lymphocyte proportion as a prognostic marker, it suggests the need for larger, multicenter studies to enhance generalizability and validity. Additionally, future research could use cognitive exams when evaluating prognosis and delve into immune mechanisms underlying AD progression. Despite limitations inherent in retrospective designs, Bai et al's work contributes to understanding the immune system's role in AD prognosis, paving the way for further exploration in this under-researched area.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; T lymphocyte; T lymphocyte proportion; Alzheimer's disease prognosis; Modified rankin scale; Immune cell count; Electroencephalogram; Immune function

Core Tip: Bai et al propose a novel marker for Alzheimer's disease (AD) prognosis: The proportion of T lymphocytes. In their single-center retrospective study, they found that a decrease in T lymphocyte proportion correlated with a poorer prognosis, as measured by the modified Rankin scale. This suggests T lymphocytes could serve as a predictive biomarker for AD prognosis. The study underscores the need for larger, multicenter investigations to validate these findings and highlights the potential of immune system dysregulation in AD progression, opening avenues for further research in understanding AD pathology and prognosis.