PILRA polymorphism modifies the effect of APOE4 and GM17 on Alzheimer's disease risk.

PILRA (rs1859788 A > G) has been suggested to be a protective variant for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is an entry co-receptor for herpes simplex virus-1. We conducted a nested case-control study of 360 1:1-matched AD subjects. Interactions between the PILRA-A allele, APOE risk variants (ε3/ε4 or ε4/ε4) and GM17 for AD risk were modelled. The associations were cross-validated using two independent whole-genome sequencing datasets. We found negative interactions between PILRA-A and GM17 (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-1.00) and between PILRA-A and APOE risk variants (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32-0.98) in the discovery dataset. In the replication cohort, a joint effect of PILRA and PILRA × GM 17/17 was observed for the risk of developing AD (p .02). Here, we report a negative effect modification by PILRA on APOE and GM17 high-risk variants for future AD risk in two independent datasets. This highlights the complex genetics of AD.

Plasma Amyloid-ß in Relation to Antibodies Against Herpes Simplex Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae.

BACKGROUND: Amyloid-ß (Aß), the key constituent of Alzheimer's disease (AD) plaques, has antimicrobial properties. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between plasma Aß and antibodies against the AD-related pathogens herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and C. pneumoniae. METHODS: Plasma from 339 AD cases, obtained on average 9.4 years (±4.00) before diagnosis, and their matched controls were analyzed for Aß40 and Aß42 concentrations with Luminex xMAP technology and INNOBIA plasma Aß-form assays. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were utilized for analyses of anti-HSV immunoglobulin (Ig) G, anti-HSV1 IgG, anti-HSV2 IgG, anti-CMV IgG, and anti-C. pneumoniae IgG. Follow-up samples were available for 150 of the cases. RESULTS: Presence and levels of anti-HSV1 IgG, anti-HSV2 IgG, anti-CMV IgG, and anti-C. pneumoniae IgG did not correlate with concentrations of Aß42 or Aß40 in cases or controls. CONCLUSION: Levels of plasma Aß were not associated with antibodies against different AD-related pathogens.

EAES rapid guideline: appendicitis in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of trustworthy evidence-informed guidelines on the diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis in elderly patients. METHODS: We developed a rapid guideline in accordance with GRADE and AGREE II standards. The steering group consisted of general surgeons, members of the EAES Research Committee/Guidelines Subcommittee with expertise and experience in guideline development, advanced medical statistics and evidence synthesis, biostatisticians, and a guideline methodologist. The guideline panel consisted of three general surgeons, an intensive care physician, a geriatrician and a patient advocate. We conducted systematic reviews and the results of evidence synthesis were summarized in evidence tables. Recommendations were authored and published through an online authoring and publication platform (MAGICapp), with the guideline panel making use of an evidence-to-decision framework and a Delphi process to arrive at consensus. RESULTS: This rapid guideline provides a weak recommendation against the use of clinical scoring systems to replace cross-sectional imaging in the diagnostic approach of suspected appendicitis in elderly patients. It provides a weak recommendation against the use of antibiotics alone over surgical treatment in patients who are deemed fit for surgery, and a weak recommendation for laparoscopic over open surgery. Furthermore, it provides a summary of surgery-associated risks in elderly patients. The guidelines, with recommendations, evidence summaries and decision aids in user-friendly formats can also be accessed in MAGICapp: https://app.magicapp.org/#/guideline/4494 . CONCLUSIONS: This rapid guideline provides evidence-informed trustworthy recommendations on the diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis in elderly patients.

Acute hyperglycaemia leads to altered frontal lobe brain activity and reduced working memory in type 2 diabetes.

How acute hyperglycaemia affects memory functions and functional brain responses in individuals with and without type 2 diabetes is unclear. Our aim was to study the association between acute hyperglycaemia and working, semantic, and episodic memory in participants with type 2 diabetes compared to a sex- and age-matched control group. We also assessed the effect of hyperglycaemia on working memory-related brain activity. A total of 36 participants with type 2 diabetes and 34 controls (mean age, 66 years) underwent hyperglycaemic clamp or placebo clamp in a blinded and randomised order. Working, episodic, and semantic memory were tested. Overall, the control group had higher working memory (mean z-score 33.15 ± 0.45) than the group with type 2 diabetes (mean z-score 31.8 ± 0.44, p = 0.042) considering both the placebo and hyperglycaemic clamps. Acute hyperglycaemia did not influence episodic, semantic, or working memory performance in either group. Twenty-two of the participants (10 cases, 12 controls, mean age 69 years) were randomly invited to undergo the same clamp procedures to challenge working memory, using 1-, 2-, and 3-back, while monitoring brain activity by blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The participants with type 2 diabetes had reduced working memory during the 1- and 2-back tests. fMRI during placebo clamp revealed increased BOLD signal in the left lateral frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex as a function of working memory load in both groups (3>2>1). During hyperglycaemia, controls showed a similar load-dependent fMRI response, whereas the type 2 diabetes group showed decreased BOLD response from 2- to 3-back. These results suggest that impaired glucose metabolism in the brain affects working memory, possibly by reducing activity in important frontal brain areas in persons with type 2 diabetes.

An Ig γ Marker Genotype Is a Strong Risk Factor for Alzheimer Disease, Independent of Apolipoprotein E ε4 Genotype.

Increasing evidence implicates HSV type 1 (HSV1) in the pathogenesis of late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD). HSV1 has evolved highly sophisticated strategies to evade host immunosurveillance. One strategy involves encoding a decoy Fcγ receptor (FcγR), which blocks Fc-mediated effector functions, such as Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Ig γ marker (GM) allotypes, encoded by highly polymorphic IGHG genes on chromosome 14q32, modulate this immunoevasion strategy, and thus may act as effect modifiers of the HSV1-AD association. In this nested case-control human study, 365 closely matched case-control pairs-whose blood was drawn on average 9.6 y before AD diagnosis-were typed for GM alleles by a TaqMan genotyping assay. APOE genotype and a genetic risk score based on nine additional previously known AD risk genes (ABCA7, BIN1, CD33, CLU, CR1, EPHA1, MS4A4E, NECTIN2, and PICALM) were extracted from a genome-wide association study analysis. Antiviral Abs were measured by ELISA. Conditional logistic regression models were applied. The distribution of GM 3/17 genotypes differed significantly between AD cases and controls, with higher frequency of GM 17/17 homozygotes in AD cases as compared with controls (19.8 versus 10.7%, p = 0.001). The GM 17/17 genotype was associated with a 4-fold increased risk of AD (odds ratio 4.142, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that Ig GM 17/17 genotype contributes to the risk of later AD development, independent of apolipoprotein ε4 genotype and other AD risk genes, and explain, at least in part, why every HSV1-infected person is not equally likely to develop HSV1-associated AD.

The Combined Effect of Cancer and Cardiometabolic Conditions on the Mortality Burden in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: The number of older people living with cancer and cardiometabolic conditions is increasing, but little is known about how specific combinations of these conditions impact mortality. METHODS: A total of 22,692 participants aged 65 years and older from four international cohorts were followed-up for mortality for an average of 10 years (8,596 deaths). Data were harmonized across cohorts and mutually exclusive groups of disease combinations were created for cancer, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and diabetes at baseline. Cox proportional hazards models for all-cause mortality were used to estimate the age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio and rate advancement period (RAP) (in years). RESULTS: At baseline, 23.6% (n = 5,116) of participants reported having one condition and 4.2% (n = 955) had two or more conditions. Data from all studies combined showed that the RAP increased with each additional condition. Diabetes advanced the rate of dying by the most years (5.26 years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.53-6.00), but the effect of any single condition was smaller than the effect of disease combinations. Some combinations had a significantly greater impact on the period by which the rate of death was advanced than others with the same number of conditions, for example, 10.9 years (95% CI, 9.4-12.6) for MI and diabetes versus 6.4 years (95% CI, 4.3-8.5) for cancer and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Combinations of cancer and cardiometabolic conditions accelerate mortality rates in older adults differently. Although most studies investigating mortality associated with multimorbidity used disease counts, these provide little guidance for managing complex patients as they age.

A genetic signature including apolipoprotein Eε4 potentiates the risk of herpes simplex-associated Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) in combination with genetic susceptibility has previously been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. METHODS: Plasma from 360 AD cases, obtained on average 9.6 years before diagnosis, and their age- and sex-matched controls, were analyzed for anti-HSV1 immunoglobulin (Ig) G with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). A POE genotype and nine other selected risk genes for AD were extracted from a genome-wide association study analysis by deCODE genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland. RESULTS: The interaction between APOEε4 heterozygosity (APOEε2/ε4 or ε3/ε4) and anti-HSV1 IgG carriage increased the risk of AD (OR 4.55, P = .02). A genetic risk score based on the nine AD risk genes also interacted with anti-HSV1 IgG for the risk of developing AD (OR 2.35, P = .01). DISCUSSION: The present findings suggest that the APOEε4 allele and other AD genetic risk factors might potentiate the risk of HSV1-associated AD.

Interaction between Cytomegalovirus and Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Associated with the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Development.

BACKGROUND: Several environmental factors, including infectious agents, have been suggested to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been associated with AD in several recent studies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether carriage of CMV, alone or in combination with Herpes simplex virus (HSV), increased the risk of developing AD. METHODS: Plasma samples from 360 AD cases (75.3% women, mean age 61.2 years), taken an average of 9.6 years before AD diagnosis, and 360 age-, sex-, cohort-, and sampling date matched dementia-free controls were analyzed to detect anti-CMV (immunoglobulin [Ig] G and IgM), group-specific anti-HSV (IgG and IgM), and specific anti-HSV1 and HSV2 IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. AD cases and dementia-free controls were compared using conditional logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The presence of anti-CMV IgG antibodies did not increase the risk of AD (odds ratio [OR], 0.857; p = 0.497). Among AD cases, an association between CMV and HSV1 carriage was detected (OR 7.145, p < 0.001); in a conditional logistic regression model, the interaction between CMV and HSV1 was associated with AD development (OR 5.662; p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: The present findings do not support a direct relationship between CMV infection and the development of AD; however, an interaction between CMV and HSV1 was found to be associated significantly with AD development. These findings suggest that CMV infection facilitates the development of HSV1-associated AD, possibly via its effects on the immune system.

Burden of hip fracture using disability-adjusted life-years: a pooled analysis of prospective cohorts in the CHANCES consortium.

BACKGROUND: No studies have estimated disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost due to hip fractures using real-life follow-up cohort data. We aimed to quantify the burden of disease due to incident hip fracture using DALYs in prospective cohorts in the CHANCES consortium, and to calculate population attributable fractions based on DALYs for specific risk factors. METHODS: We used data from six cohorts of participants aged 50 years or older at recruitment to calculate DALYs. We applied disability weights proposed by the National Osteoporosis Foundation and did a series of sensitivity analyses to examine the robustness of DALY estimates. We calculated population attributable fractions for smoking, body-mass index (BMI), physical activity, alcohol intake, type 2 diabetes and parity, use of hormone replacement therapy, and oral contraceptives in women. We calculated summary risk estimates across cohorts with pooled analysis and random-effects meta-analysis methods. FINDINGS: 223 880 men and women were followed up for a mean of 13 years (SD 6). 7724 (3·5%) participants developed an incident hip fracture, of whom 413 (5·3%) died as a result. 5964 DALYs (27 per 1000 individuals) were lost due to hip fractures, 1230 (20·6%) of which were in the group aged 75-79 years. 4150 (69·6%) DALYs were attributed to disability. Current smoking was the risk factor responsible for the greatest hip fracture burden (7·5%, 95% CI 5·2-9·7) followed by physical inactivity (5·5%, 2·1-8·5), history of diabetes (2·8%, 2·1-4·0), and low to average BMI (2·0%, 1·4-2·7), whereas low alcohol consumption (0·01-2·5 g per day) and high BMI had a protective effect. INTERPRETATION: Hip fracture can lead to a substantial loss of healthy life-years in elderly people. National public health policies should be strengthened to reduce hip fracture incidence and mortality. Primary prevention measures should be strengthened to prevent falls, and reduce smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. FUNDING: European Community's Seventh Framework Programme.

Self-rated health and all-cause and cause-specific mortality of older adults: Individual data meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies in the CHANCES Consortium.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate, among the elderly, the association of self-rated health (SRH) with mortality, and to identify determinants of self-rating health as "at-least-good". STUDY DESIGN: Individual data on SRH and important covariates were obtained for 424,791 European and United States residents, ≥60 years at recruitment (1982-2008), in eight prospective studies in the Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES). In each study, adjusted mortality ratios (hazard ratios, HRs) in relation to SRH were calculated and subsequently combined with random-effect meta-analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. RESULTS: Within the median 12.5 years of follow-up, 93,014 (22%) deaths occurred. SRH "fair" or "poor" vs. "at-least-good" was associated with increased mortality: HRs 1.46 (95% CI 1·23-1.74) and 2.31 (1.79-2.99), respectively. These associations were evident: for cardiovascular and, to a lesser extent, cancer mortality, and within-study, within-subgroup analyses. Accounting for lifestyle, sociodemographic, somatometric factors and, subsequently, for medical history explained only a modest amount of the unadjusted associations. Factors favourably associated with SRH were: sex (males), age (younger-old), education (high), marital status (married/cohabiting), physical activity (active), body mass index (non-obese), alcohol consumption (low to moderate) and previous morbidity (absence). CONCLUSION: SRH provides a quick and simple tool for assessing health and identifying groups of elders at risk of early mortality that may be useful also in clinical settings. Modifying determinants of favourably rating health, e.g. by increasing physical activity and/or by eliminating obesity, may be important for older adults to "feel healthy" and "be healthy".

Plasma concentrations of free amyloid ß cannot predict the development of Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Biomarkers that identify individuals at risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) development would be highly valuable. Plasma concentration of amyloid ß (Aß)-central in the pathogenesis of AD-is a logical candidate, but studies to date have produced conflicting results on its utility. METHODS: Plasma samples from 339 preclinical AD cases (76.4% women, mean age 61.3 years) and 339 age- and sex-matched dementia-free controls, taken an average of 9.4 years before AD diagnosis, were analyzed using Luminex xMAP technology and INNO-BIA plasma Aß form assays to determine concentrations of free plasma Aß40 and Aß42. RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of free Aß40 and Aß42 did not differ between preclinical AD cases and dementia-free controls, in the full sample or in subgroups defined according to sex and age group (<60 and ≥ 60 years). The interval between sampling and AD diagnosis did not affect the results. Aß concentrations did not change in the years preceding AD diagnosis among individuals for whom longitudinal samples were available. DISCUSSION: Plasma concentrations of free Aß could not predict the development of clinical AD, and Aß concentrations did not change in the years preceding AD diagnosis in this sample. These results indicate that free plasma Aß is not a useful biomarker for the identification of individuals at risk of developing clinical AD.

Withdrawn: Plasma concentrations of free amyloid-ß cannot predict the development of Alzheimer's disease.

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, DOI of original article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2016.12.004. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy.

Alcoholic Beverage Preference and Dietary Habits in Elderly across Europe: Analyses within the Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) Project.

INTRODUCTION: The differential associations of beer, wine, and spirit consumption on cardiovascular risk found in observational studies may be confounded by diet. We described and compared dietary intake and diet quality according to alcoholic beverage preference in European elderly. METHODS: From the Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES), seven European cohorts were included, i.e. four sub-cohorts from EPIC-Elderly, the SENECA Study, the Zutphen Elderly Study, and the Rotterdam Study. Harmonized data of 29,423 elderly participants from 14 European countries were analyzed. Baseline data on consumption of beer, wine, and spirits, and dietary intake were collected with questionnaires. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI). Intakes and scores across categories of alcoholic beverage preference (beer, wine, spirit, no preference, non-consumers) were adjusted for age, sex, socio-economic status, self-reported prevalent diseases, and lifestyle factors. Cohort-specific mean intakes and scores were calculated as well as weighted means combining all cohorts. RESULTS: In 5 of 7 cohorts, persons with a wine preference formed the largest group. After multivariate adjustment, persons with a wine preference tended to have a higher HDI score and intake of healthy foods in most cohorts, but differences were small. The weighted estimates of all cohorts combined revealed that non-consumers had the highest fruit and vegetable intake, followed by wine consumers. Non-consumers and persons with no specific preference had a higher HDI score, spirit consumers the lowest. However, overall diet quality as measured by HDI did not differ greatly across alcoholic beverage preference categories. DISCUSSION: This study using harmonized data from ~30,000 elderly from 14 European countries showed that, after multivariate adjustment, dietary habits and diet quality did not differ greatly according to alcoholic beverage preference.

Burden of Cancer in a Large Consortium of Prospective Cohorts in Europe.

BACKGROUND: Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) are an indicator of mortality, morbidity, and disability. We calculated DALYs for cancer in middle-aged and older adults participating in the Consortium on Health and Ageing Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) consortium. METHODS: A total of 90 199 participants from five European cohorts with 10 455 incident cancers and 4399 deaths were included in this study. DALYs were calculated as the sum of the years of life lost because of premature mortality (YLLs) and the years lost because of disability (YLDs). Population-attributable fractions (PAFs) were also estimated for five cancer risk factors, ie, smoking, adiposity, physical inactivity, alcohol intake, and type II diabetes. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 12 years, the total number of DALYs lost from cancer was 34 474 (382 per 1000 individuals) with a similar distribution by sex. Lung cancer was responsible for the largest number of lost DALYs (22.9%), followed by colorectal (15.3%), prostate (10.2%), and breast cancer (8.7%). Mortality (81.6% of DALYs) predominated over disability. Ever cigarette smoking was the risk factor responsible for the greatest total cancer burden (24.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 22.2% to 26.0%), followed by physical inactivity (4.9%, 95% CI = 0.8% to 8.1%) and adiposity (1.8%, 95% CI = 0.2% to 2.8%). CONCLUSIONS: DALYs lost from cancer were substantial in this large European sample of middle-aged and older adults. Even if the burden of disease because of cancer is predominantly caused by mortality, some cancers have sizeable consequences for disability. Smoking remained the predominant risk factor for total cancer burden.

Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Hip Fracture Incidence in Older Men and Women: The CHANCES Project.

The role of fruit and vegetable intake in relation to fracture prevention during adulthood and beyond is not adequately understood. We investigated the potential association between fruit and vegetable intake and hip fracture incidence in a large sample of older adults from Europe and the United States. A total of 142,018 individuals (116,509 women) aged ≥60 years, from five cohorts, were followed up prospectively for 1,911,482 person-years, accumulating 5552 hip fractures. Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed by validated, cohort-specific, food-frequency questionnaires (FFQ). Ηip fractures were ascertained through national patient registers or telephone interviews/questionnaires. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) derived by Cox proportional hazards regression were estimated for each cohort and subsequently pooled using random effects meta-analysis. Intake of ≤1 serving/day of fruit and vegetables combined was associated with 39% higher hip fracture risk (pooled adjusted HR, 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 1.58) in comparison with moderate intake (>3 and ≤5 servings/day) (pfor heterogeneity = 0.505), whereas higher intakes (>5 servings/day) were not associated with lower risk in comparison with the same reference. Associations were more evident among women. We concluded that a daily intake of 1 or <1 servings of fruits and vegetables was associated with increased hip fracture risk in relation to moderate daily intakes. Older adults with such low fruit and vegetable consumption may benefit from raising their intakes to moderate amounts in order to reduce their hip fracture risk. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Smoking and All-cause Mortality in Older Adults: Results From the CHANCES Consortium.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is known to be a major cause of death among middle-aged adults, but evidence on its impact and the benefits of smoking cessation among older adults has remained limited. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the influence of smoking and smoking cessation on all-cause mortality in people aged ≥60 years. METHODS: Relative mortality and mortality rate advancement periods (RAPs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models for the population-based prospective cohort studies from Europe and the U.S. (CHANCES [Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the U.S.]), and subsequently pooled by individual participant meta-analysis. Statistical analyses were performed from June 2013 to March 2014. RESULTS: A total of 489,056 participants aged ≥60 years at baseline from 22 population-based cohort studies were included. Overall, 99,298 deaths were recorded. Current smokers had 2-fold and former smokers had 1.3-fold increased mortality compared with never smokers. These increases in mortality translated to RAPs of 6.4 (95% CI=4.8, 7.9) and 2.4 (95% CI=1.5, 3.4) years, respectively. A clear positive dose-response relationship was observed between number of currently smoked cigarettes and mortality. For former smokers, excess mortality and RAPs decreased with time since cessation, with RAPs of 3.9 (95% CI=3.0, 4.7), 2.7 (95% CI=1.8, 3.6), and 0.7 (95% CI=0.2, 1.1) for those who had quit <10, 10 to 19, and ≥20 years ago, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking remains as a strong risk factor for premature mortality in older individuals and cessation remains beneficial even at advanced ages. Efforts to support smoking abstinence at all ages should be a public health priority.

Glucose but not insulin or insulin resistance is associated with memory performance in middle-aged non-diabetic women: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Elevated concentrations of plasma glucose appear to play a role in memory impairment, and it has been suggested that insulin might also have a negative effect on cognitive function. Our aim was to study whether glucose, insulin or insulin resistance are associated with episodic or semantic memory in a non-diabetic and non-demented population. METHODS: We linked and matched two population-based data sets identifying 291 participants (127 men and 164 women, mean age of 50.7 ± 8.0 years). Episodic and semantic memory functions were tested, and fasting plasma insulin, fasting plasma glucose, and 2-hour glucose were analysed along with other potential influencing factors on memory function. Since men and women display different results on memory functions they were analysed separately. Insulin resistance was calculated using the HOMA-IR method. RESULTS: A higher fasting plasma glucose concentration was associated with lower episodic memory in women (r = -0.08, 95% CI -0.14; -0.01), but not in men. Plasma insulin levels and insulin resistance were not associated with episodic or semantic memory in women or in men after adjustments for age, fasting glucose, 2-hour glucose, BMI, education, smoking, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cholesterol, and physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: This indicates that fasting glucose but not insulin, might have impact on episodic memory in middle-aged women.

Herpes simplex infection and the risk of Alzheimer's disease: A nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is thought to play an etiological role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Plasma samples from 360 AD cases (75.3% women, mean age 61.2 years) and 360 age- and sex-matched dementia-free controls, taken on average 9.6 years before AD diagnosis, were analyzed for anti-HSV antibodies (immunoglobulin G, IgG, and immunoglobulin M, IgM) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: In the complete sample group, the presence of anti-HSV IgG and IgM antibodies did not increase the risk of AD significantly (odds ratio (OR) 1.636, P = .069 and OR 1.368, P = .299, respectively). In cases with 6.6 years or more between plasma sampling and AD diagnosis (n = 270), there was a significant association between presence of anti-HSV IgG antibodies and AD (OR 2.250, P = .019). CONCLUSION: Among persons with a follow-up time of 6.6 years or more, HSV infection was significantly associated with AD.

The Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) project--design, population and data harmonization of a large-scale, international study.

There is a public health demand to prevent health conditions which lead to increased morbidity and mortality among the rapidly-increasing elderly population. Data for the incidence of such conditions exist in cohort studies worldwide, which, however, differ in various aspects. The Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) project aims at harmonizing data from existing major longitudinal studies for the elderly whilst focussing on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancer, fractures and cognitive impairment in order to estimate their prevalence, incidence and cause-specific mortality, and identify lifestyle, socioeconomic, and genetic determinants and biomarkers for the incidence of and mortality from these conditions. A survey instrument assessing ageing-related conditions of the elderly will be also developed. Fourteen cohort studies participate in CHANCES with 683,228 elderly (and 150,210 deaths), from 23 European and three non-European countries. So far, 287 variables on health conditions and a variety of exposures, including biomarkers and genetic data have been harmonized. Different research hypotheses are investigated with meta-analyses. The results which will be produced can help international organizations, governments and policy-makers to better understand the broader implications and consequences of ageing and thus make informed decisions.