New research reported May 23 in the American Journal of Human Genetics has found that men whose blood samples show a loss of the Y chromosome developed Alzheimer’s as often as people who were born with genes that put them more at risk for the disease. A team of researchers from Sweden, France, Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S. has expressed hope that these findings might some day help to develop an early warning system for Alzheimer’s.
In some men the Y chromosome degenerates slowly over time, referred to as loss of Y, or LOY. Some research has indicated that this may be an early warning that an individual is susceptible to some types of cancer. According to ScienceDaily, some scientists also believe that LOY could explain why men do not live as long as women.
Medical News Today reports that in the most recent survey, the global team looked at the chromosomes of 3,200 men with an average age of 73. Around 17 percent displayed LOY in at least 10 percent of their red blood cells, found particularly in the older participants. The team found that individuals who had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s were more likely to have LOY. In addition, LOY was more commonly found in men who smoke.
The study first author Jan Dumanski said, “Using new tools to analyze genetic variations that accumulate with age, we can help explain how sporadic diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s manifest.” The scientists are uncertain as to why loss of Y can be linked to an increase of risk for certain diseases, but speculate it has to do with a reduction in immune system performance.
Lead author Lars Forsberg, researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden’s Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology says, “Having loss of Y is not 100 percent predictive that you will have either cancer or Alzheimer’s. But in the future, loss of Y in blood cells can become a new biomarker for disease risk and perhaps evaluation can make a difference in detecting and treating problems early.
The team plans more investigation into the effect of LOY in larger groups, and explore in more detail how that might translate into increased risk for diseases. They will also be looking at how the LOY causes cellular changes, and how it affects different types of blood cells.