Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul;21(7):e70514.
doi: 10.1002/alz.70514.

Cytokines and immune biomarkers in neurodegeneration and cognitive function: A systematic review among individuals of African ancestry

Maxwell Hubert Antwi  1   2 , Ansumana Bockarie  3 , George Nkrumah Osei  1 , David Mawutor Donkor  1 , David Larbi Simpong  1
Affiliations

Cytokines and immune biomarkers in neurodegeneration and cognitive function: A systematic review among individuals of African ancestry

Maxwell Hubert Antwi et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Cytokines and immune markers are critical in mediating inflammation associated with neurodegenerative disease. This review analyzes the role of inflammatory cytokines and immune markers in neurodegeneration among African populations.

Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of studies examining cytokine levels in neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on populations of African ancestry.

Results: Cytokines like interleukin (IL)-6, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and IL-8. IL-6 emerged as a key pro-inflammatory marker linked to neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline, showing stronger correlations in African ancestry populations compared to Caucasians. Genetic findings revealed triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 variants and Fc fragment of IgG receptor IIb rs1050501 genotypes as influential in Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related inflammation, alongside a unique correlation between immunoglobulin G index inflammatory markers and AD in African ancestry populations.

Discussion: The findings emphasize the crucial role of cytokines in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding their variations among African populations can inform targeted therapeutic strategies and improve patient outcomes.

Highlights: Interleukin (IL)-6 was identified as a key pro-inflammatory marker, consistently linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, and dementia, underscoring its significant role in neurodegenerative disease progression. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were associated with improved cognitive performance, particularly in African American participants. Observational studies identified sex-based differences in IL-10 levels, particularly among older African American women. The review highlights notable ethnic differences in cytokines like IL-8, IL-1β, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors, emphasizing their roles in neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in people of African descent. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 variants, immunoglobulin GM allotypes, and Fc fragment of IgG receptor IIb rs1050501 genotypes were found to influence AD-related inflammation and progression in African ancestry populations.

Keywords: African ancestry; cognition; cytokines; immune markers; neurodegeneration.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Author disclosures are available in the supporting information.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram of the screening and selection of studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Chen X, Hu Y, Cao Z, Liu Q, Cheng Y. Cerebrospinal fluid inflammatory cytokine aberrations in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Front Immunol. 2018;9:2122. doi: 10.3389/FIMMU.2018.02122 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zimmermann M, Brockmann K. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of inflammation in Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2022;12:S183‐S200. doi: 10.3233/JPD-223277 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Walker KA, Gross AL, Moghekar AR, et al. Association of peripheral inflammatory markers with connectivity in large‐scale functional brain networks of non‐demented older adults. Brain Behav Immun. 2020;87:388‐396. doi: 10.1016/J.BBI.2020.01.006 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yin Z, Chen J, Xia M, et al. Assessing causal relationship between circulating cytokines and age‐related neurodegenerative diseases: a bidirectional two‐sample Mendelian randomization analysis. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):12325. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lobanova E, Zhang YP, Emin D, et al. ASC specks as a single‐molecule fluid biomarker of inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. Nat Commun. 2024;15(1):9690. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms