阿茲海默症是一種漸進式神經退化性疾病，其病理特徵主要於腦中會出現β類澱粉斑塊 (β-amyloid plaques)的沉積、細胞內神經纖維糾結、慢性神經炎以及神經細胞的損傷，進而造成認知功能毀滅性的傷害。目前阿茲海默症之臨床診斷主要藉由神經心理測驗評量患者的認知功能，並透過昂貴的腦部影像技術來觀察腦部的病理特徵， 然而需於患者腦部已有明顯的病理變化與神經細胞損傷後才能透過現行的診斷工具進一步確認，因此，發展能應用於阿茲海默氏症早期診斷的生物標的是日前相當感興趣的探究議題。近十年來發現，癌症、糖尿病、中風、嚴重外傷以及全身紅斑性狼瘡患者的血漿中皆能偵測到高濃度的游離態核酸的表現，目前認為患者血漿中高濃度的游離態核酸表現可能是由於疾病誘發大量細胞凋亡而導致游離態核酸釋放至週邊血液中所造成的現象。阿茲海默氏症是由於神經細胞遭受β類澱粉斑塊毒性攻擊，進而誘發神經細胞凋亡，因此本篇研究將探討血漿中的游離態核酸是否能作為阿茲海默氏症臨床診斷之生物標的。

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder pathologically characterized by deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, low-level chronic neuroinflammation and neuronal injury, resulting in a devastating loss of cognitive function. Current clinical diagnosis of AD requires neuropsychological testing and costly brain imaging techniques, when significant brain pathology and neuronal injury has already transpired. There is growing interest for identification of new targets for early detectable biomarker in AD. In the past 10 years, several other reports followed related to the detection of high fractional concentrations of circulating nucleic acids (CNAs) in the plasma of patients with cancers, diabetes, stroke, trauma and rheumatoid arthritis. It is likely that cell apoptosis is the major mechanism by which nucleic acids are released from cell into the circulation. This study hypothesizes that since CNAs substantially increase after neuron degenerated, the level of CNAs can be used as a predictive marker of AD progression. Therefore, in this thesis, we would like o examine whether the CNAs also could be a potential diagnostic marker in AD.

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