Zeitschrift für Hepatologie und Magen-Darm-Erkrankungen
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Cell Wall Deficient Mycobacteria (CWDM) in Blood Myelocytes and Brain Tissue in Late Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Implications for New Approaches in Drug Development

William Chamberlin, Andrew Tie, Christopher Fowler, Lawrence Ward, John Aitken

Introduction: The presence of cell wall deficient Mycobacteria (L-Form) infections in macrophages and Alzheimer brain tissue is not currently recognized.

Methods: Elderly subjects were selected from the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle study of ageing and grouped as MCI, AD and cognitively normal. Blood buffy coats were cultured and stained using new methods. Histologic slides from archived AD brains were stained for the presence of Mycobacteria L-forms.

Results:

MCI=36/36 blood cultures positive

AD=14/14 positive

Elderly controls=52/52 positive

AD Brain Tissue=10/10 samples positive for CWDM

Conclusions: Elderly people have Mycobacteria L-forms in blood macrophages. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease have what appears to be the microbe in their brains surrounded by biofilm. Members of the genus Mycobacterium join the growing list of microbes associated with AD. Age related immune senescence may enable opportunistic microbes to trigger neuro-inflammation and become pathogenic.