Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease and other similar dementias are debilitating neurodegenerative disorders whose etiology and pathogenesis remain largely unknown, even after decades of research. With the anticipated increase in prevalence of Alzheimer’s type dementias among the more susceptible aging population, the need for disease-modifying treatments is urgent. While various hypotheses have been put forward over the last few decades, we suggest that Alzheimer’s type dementias are triggered by external environmental factors, co-expressing in individuals with specific genetic susceptibilities. These external stressors are defined in the Iron Dysregulation and Dormant Microbes (IDDM) hypothesis, previously put forward. This hypothesis is consistent with current literature in which serum ferritin levels of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are significantly higher compared those of age- and gender-matched controls. While iron dysregulation contributes to oxidative stress, it also causes microbial reactivation and virulence of the so-called dormant blood (and tissue) microbiome. Dysbiosis (changes in the microbiome) or previous infections can contribute to the dormant blood microbiome (atopobiosis1), and also directly promotes systemic inflammation via the amyloidogenic formation and shedding of potent inflammagens such as lipopolysaccharides. The simultaneous iron dysregulation and microbial aberrations affect the hematological system, promoting fibrin amylodiogenesis, and pathological clotting. Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress can contribute to blood brain barrier permeability and the ensuing neuro-inflammation, characteristic of Alzheimer’s type dementias. While large inter-individual variability exists, especially concerning disease pathogenesis, the IDDM hypothesis acknowledges primary causative factors which can be targeted for early diagnosis and/or for prevention of disease progression.
Introduction
Alzheimer’s type dementia (AD) is the most prevalent example of dementia, accounting for 75% of all cases (Qui et al., 2009), with an estimated global economic impact of $604 billion per year (Langa, 2015). In 2013 this neurodegenerative disorder was diagnosed in 44.4 million individuals worldwide. This number is expected to increase to 75.6 million by 2030 (Vradenburg, 2015; Pretorius et al., 2016a). The increasing aging population and anticipated increase in prevalence of AD has severe socio-economic implications (Prince et al., 2014). Familial AD can be promoted by mutations of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin () and apolipoprotein E () genes, however, most AD patients suffer from the sporadic form, and even after decades of research, the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease remains largely unknown (Makin, 2018), and with essentially no existing disease-modifying treatments (Vogt et al., 2017). Despite the differences between familial and sporadic AD, the resultant neuropathology is shared by both (Pritchard et al., 2017).
Vascular dementia (VaD), also known as multi-infarct dementia, is caused by obstructions in the supply of blood to the brain, which over time results in stepwise neurodegeneration (). The pathology of VaD is characterized by atheromas of primarily cerebral arteries and arterioles. Vascular lesions characteristic of VaD often co-exist with AD, with 25–80% of individuals with dementia showing both AD symptoms and cerebrovascular lesions (), a condition termed mixed dementia (MD). In early AD, critically located small vascular lesions in subcortical regions may promote cognitive decline. This suggests a synergistic relation between disorders (). The distinction between isolated AD, VaD, and MD, where both pathologies coexist in the same individual, remains a controversial issue and one of the most difficult diagnostic challenges (Zekry et al., 2002; ). Additionally the population-based prevalence of MD in prospective and retrospective autopsy studies, ranges from 2 to 58%, emphasizing the coexistence of AD with multiple cerebrovascular lesions in patients with cognitive impairments. Moreover inflammation and alterations of inflammatory biomarkers are common to both AD and VaD (Schmidt et al., 2002). For these reasons, VaD and the pathogenesis thereof, fall under the AD umbrella of this review.
For the individual, AD shortens life expectancy significantly, with the cognitive deficit often causing institutionalization, physical disability and reduced quality of life (Qui et al., 2009; Pritchard et al., 2017). Hallmark features of AD pathology in the brain often include extracellular plaques composed of amyloid-β (Aβ), intracellular neurofibrillary tangles which are composed of hyperphosphorylated tau, basal forebrain cholinergic insufficiency and extensive neuronal and synaptic loss in the cortex and hippocampus (Law et al., 2001; Vogt et al., 2017). Aβ42 peptides either as monomers, dimers or intermediate amyloids stimulate arrays of inflammatory gene expression characteristic of the innate immune system (Zhao et al., 2015). These Aβ42 peptides are not only highly immunogenic, but they may self-aggregate into structures that interact with the plasma membrane and cause uncontrolled seepage of ions into and/or out of the neurons (Zhao and Lukiw, 2015), disrupting their normal physiological functioning.
Another hallmark of AD is activated neuroglial cells which produce significant amounts of inflammatory molecules. At low levels this may have a protective function but the increased expression in AD could induce neurodegeneration (). This said, cerebral inflammation caused by the activation of glial cells is generally asymptomatic as this occurs in the normal aging brain. According to prolonged production of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as increased neuroinflammatory responses are common in the normal aging brain. The primary source of this exaggerated response is sensitized microglia. Other causes of this phenomenon may include neuroendocrine system dysregulation and potentiation of neuroinflammatory responses following an immune challenge, due to persistently elevated glucocorticoid levels in older individuals (). Excessive age-related glial priming, present in AD, could also be due to microbial infiltration from disturbed microbiomes across a permeabilized blood brain barrier, providing slow inflammatory damage (Pritchard et al., 2017).
Recent research (; ; Steardo et al., 2015) also suggests that neuro-inflammation may play a central role in the pathological progression of AD. Several neuro-inflammatory mediators including reactive oxygen species, chemokines, cytokines and activated complement are produced and secreted by microglia and astrocytes in the AD brain (Pretorius et al., 2016a). While neuro-inflammation is a part of the normal aging brain, and is a hallmark of acute injury (Lucas et al., 2006) and also of infection (McColl et al., 2009), in AD excessive systemic inflammation also occurs (Pretorius et al., 2016a), simultaneously exacerbating and perpetuating neuro-inflammation. Previous studies have verified that peripheral inflammatory markers such as interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 are related to the advancement of AD (Rubio-Perez and Morillas-Ruiz, 2012; ).
Some individuals who develop AD seem to possess genetic susceptibilities that are influenced by co-occurring environmental factors (Pritchard et al., 2017). In this review, we rehearse the Iron Dysregulation and Dormant Microbes (IDDM) hypothesis, and its ability to relate events which trigger and promote the pathogenesis of inflammatory conditions such as AD. The IDDM hypothesis emphasizes two main external triggers, namely (1) stress-induced iron dysregulation, and (2) its ability to reactivate dormant or non-replicating microbes which the host had acquired via previous infections or dysbiotic communities. We believe the primary origin of such microbes comes from a dysbiotic gut (). These microbes are capable of sloughing off functionally significant inflammagens such as lipopolysaccharide(s) (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Gram-positive bacteria. The consequences of this include significant coagulopathies, for example the amyloidogenic clotting of blood, which increases cell mortality (). The contents of this manuscript are summarized in Figure 1.
FIGURE 1
Iron Dysregulation
Iron dysregulation is any form of deviation from normal, homeostatic iron metabolism; in particular it includes cerebrospinal fluid ferritin and serum ferritin levels as implicated in Alzheimer’s type dementias (). According to the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort study, increased ferritin levels, measured in cerebrospinal fluid, were negatively correlated to cognitive performance (Mueller et al., 2005), and these levels predicted conversion of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease in 144 individuals over 7 years (). Furthermore, a strong association between ferritin levels and cerebrospinal fluid apolipoprotein E levels was observed in this study, with the major risk allele, APOE-𝜀4, inducing 22% higher levels of cerebrospinal fluid ferritin levels when compared to non-𝜀4 carriers (). In the same study a modest association between cerebrospinal fluid ferritin and plasma ferritin levels was noted (p = 0.0002). Thus, there may be great clinical relevance for the use of systemically elevated serum ferritin (SF) levels as cognitive performance markers (; Pretorius et al., 2016a).
Causes of Iron Dysregulation
Major sources of iron dysregulation stem from externally induced stressors (). This form of iron dysregulation can be initiated by several factors that contribute to or cause cell death, such as mechanical damage (Zhang et al., 2013), nutritional stress (Schaffer, 2016), pharmacological stress (Primohamed et al., 2004), and of course oxidative stress (). Another source of free iron is via heme metabolism, due to the functioning of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which catalyzes the degradation of heme (Pretorius and Kell, 2014). Since upregulation of HO-1 activity occurs in systemic inflammatory disorders in which erythrocytes are lysed, it may also be an important marker of inflammation and iron dysregulation.
Additionally, hepcidin, produced by the liver, is a key regulator of iron metabolism (Michels et al., 2015; Reichert et al., 2017). Decreases in hepcidin levels enhance surface exposure of ferroportin () on enterocytes, macrophages and hepatocytes to increase serum ferritin levels (illustrated by Figure 2). Hepcidin expression is induced by inflammatory markers such as LPS, IL-1β, and IL-6, while increases in 1,25(OH)2D3 (calcitriol) levels cause hepcidin levels to decrease (). According to a report by , decreases in hepcidin levels by 1,25(OH)2D3 are due to suppression of the HAMP gene by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the binding of VDR to the vitamin D response element within the proximal promotor region of the HAMP gene (). While this process is intricate, it appears that alterations in vitamin D metabolism could potentially instigate iron dysregulation.
FIGURE 2
Intestinal inflammation caused by gut dysbiosis can impact iron homeostasis within the GI tract (
Unliganded Iron and Oxidative Damage
In AD, iron dysregulation and the benefits of its chelation have been known for decades (
Microbial Reactivation
Dormancy is extremely common in microbiology, even among non-sporulating bacteria (
Gut Microbiota
The human gut microbiome contains approximately 10–100 trillion microbes, outnumbering human genes by 100-fold (Zhu et al., 2010). The gut microbiome forms the largest diffuse organ system in the body, and is more metabolically active than is the liver (Zhao et al., 2015). Through various systemic effects, the well-being and health of the human host is largely impacted by these microbes (Zhao and Lukiw, 2015). However, the human microbiome displays a high degree of variation at inter-individual levels (
Intriguingly the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract has co-evolved with two major phyla: (1) Firmicutes which constitutes 80% and, (2) Bacteriodetes which constitutes 20% of all GI tract bacteria (Pritchard et al., 2017; Zhao et al., 2017). There is increasing evidence implicating host–microbiome interactions at all stages of complexity including the central nervous system (Stilling et al., 2014). According to Stilling et al. (2014) gut-microbial products can distress chromatin plasticity, leading to changes in neuronal transcription and host conduct. This is due to the fact that the microbiota is an essential mediator of gene–environment interactions and may themselves be regarded as an epigenetic entity. Current research which supports this view includes reports which have characterized small non-coding RNA secreted from microbial cells in the GI tract (
Alterations of the gut microbiota can promote pro-inflammatory cytokine release and increase intestinal permeability, which has also been associated with AD (Pistollato et al., 2016). In particular, changes of gut microbial diversity and density can result in systemic and neuro-inflammation as well as dysfunction of the cerebellum and hippocampus (Pistollato et al., 2016). Considering the multitudes of LPSs and amyloids in the GI tract, it is plausible that the microbiota is involved in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders hallmarked by amyloidogenic features (Tran and Greenwood-Van Meerveld, 2013; Shoemark and Allen, 2015; Zhao and Lukiw, 2015) such as AD.
Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis refers to alteration in the composition of the microbiota and has been implicated in the etiology of various disease states (
Broad-scale fluctuations in the gut microbiota play significant roles in disease advancement through immune and systemic activation (Vogt et al., 2017). There is considerable evidence for the existence of the gut-brain axis which allows bi-directional communication through various pathways such as neural, endocrine and immune mechanisms (
Dysbiosis in Alzheimer’s Type Dementia
The recognition of dysbiosis and its possible link to neurodegenerative diseases are increasing as our understanding about the gut-brain axis improves (Miklossy and McGeer, 2016). A recent study in which transgenic AD mice were raised under germ-free conditions, indicated that these mice, compared to conventionally-raised AD mice, had less cerebral amyloid deposition (
The gut microbiome diversity of AD patients is notably decreased and compositionally distinct from age- and gender-matched controls (Vogt et al., 2017). In this study Vogt et al. (2017), the authors reported decreases in Firmicutes and Bifidobacterium spp. and increased Bacteriodetes in AD patients. Bifidobacterium spp. are important in gut health and their beneficial effects are well-documented (
Amyloidogenesis
Amyloid by definition is protein that is deposited as an insoluble fibril as a result of successive alterations in the protein folding process, known as amyloidosis. Similarly to prions, there is no change in the primary amino acid sequence of the proteins when they adopt an insoluble amyloid form (
For example, functional amyloid from Klebsiella pneumoniae can depolymerise from its fibrillary state to release oligomers which induce cytotoxicity equal to that caused by pathological Aβ in AD (Shahnawaz and Soto, 2012). The molecular mimicry theory (
Shedding of Inflammagens
Some of the foremost bacterial species of the GI tract, such as the Gram-negative bacilli Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli, secrete a multifarious selection of pro-inflammatory neurotoxins which are not only pathogenic but also detrimental to the homeostatic functioning of neurons (Zhao et al., 2017). The shedding of inflammagens such as LPS from gut-microbiota-related dysbiosis causes systemic and neuro-inflammation and promotes gut permeability. Shedding can occur in response to varying physiological and environmental signals with the most extreme example of microbial shedding known as the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction. This is basically an uninhibited cytokine storm, which is caused by prompt release of inflammagenic material, often following antibiotic treatment of syphilis (
LPSs are sparingly soluble but over a period of time characteristically form large heterogenous aggregates which are exceptionally immunogenic (Zhao et al., 2015). Interestingly the glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol-anchored LPS and microbe-detecting CD41 receptor, which is crucial in the neutralization of invading microbes, is similarly, stimulated by Aβ fibrils (
LTA is the cell wall equivalent of LPS in Gram-positive bacteria and is equally capable of inducing an inflammatory response through its interactions with toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 (
Additionally, increased BBB permeability typically observed in individuals with AD can be caused by shed bacterial inflammagens. The BBB plays a fundamental role in the initiation and continuance of chronic inflammation during AD (Zenaro et al., 2017). While Aβ accumulation in vasculature results in inflammatory events that increase BBB permeability in AD (
Atopobiosis
Atopobiosis refers to the appearance of some of the gut microbes in the wrong place (Potgieter et al., 2015). The sterility of blood is seemingly a controversial topic. The presence of a “physiological” blood microbiota has been reported by several studies using 16S ribosomal DNA quantitative polymerase chain reactions (
FIGURE 3

A schematic representation of bacterial translocation from a dysbiotic gastrointestinal tract to normally sterile tissues, such as blood. This occurs due to compromised gut barriers such as the epithelial mucous layer, Paneth cells (which secreted antimicrobial peptides) and epithelial cells and gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) as mechanical barriers. Simultaneously, there will be compromised systemic immune system function, which enables microbes to enter into normally sterile tissues via dendritic cells, injured epithelial, M-cells and Peyer’s patches. This phenomenon is known as atopobiosis and is implicated in both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Figure adapted from Potgieter et al. (2015).
Dormant Blood Microbiome
Bacteria that have successfully translocated to the blood have the ability to become dormant and reactivate upon appropriate stimuli, such as iron dysregulation in the form of high SF levels as discussed in section Causes of Iron Dysregulation. In contrast to conventional infections, these bacteria do not multiply but enter dormant states (
FIGURE 4

Scanning electron micrographs of bacteria associated with pathological coagulations found within the blood of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Unpublished data from Potgieter et al. (2015). (A) low magnification, (B) higher magnification.
Pathological Coagulation
LPS is well known to cause inflammatory cytokine production which can cause hypercoagulation, often referred to as endotoxin-mediated hypercoagulation (Slotta et al., 2008;
Fibrinogen
Fibrinogen is the precursor of fibrin and thus plays a major role in thrombosis and hemostasis (Pretorius and Kell, 2014). During inflammation, circulating fibrinogen levels are increased, while fibrinolysis is impaired. Amyloidogenesis of the fibrin fibers occurs, resulting in the formation of dense matted deposits which trap other blood cells and distort their shape. The combination of the increased propensity to form a stiffer fibrin network and reduced fibrinolysis is a feature of numerous inflammatory diseases such as AD (
FIGURE 5

Micrographs from scanning electron microscopy (A–C) as well as a box and whisker plot indicating fiber distribution (D) taken from Pretorius et al. (2016b) (open access publication). (A) Is indicative of healthy fibrin fibers during coagulation (with the addition of thrombin), while (B,C) demonstrate the large effect of 0.2 ng/l-1 0111:B4 LPS on fibrin morphology. LPS, lipopolysaccharide. ∗, outlier measurement.
The presence of excessive (unliganded) iron and the consequential production of hydroxyl radicals is one of the leading causes of altered fibrin cross-linking (Pretorius and Kell, 2014;
Erythrocytes
The dynamics of erythrocytes represent an important but understudied feature of the cardiovascular system. Central to this is their rheology, viscosity, aggregation and deformability (
As reviewed by Pretorius and Kell (2014), erythrocyte deformability is a complex process which is significantly altered by pathophysiological conditions. Briefly, reduced erythrocyte deformability is an important feature of inflammation in which reactive oxygen species cause degradation of spectrin and band 3, for example, which are important membrane proteins. Since the plasma membrane and the cytoskeleton are responsible for the preservation of erythrocyte shape and stability, modifications of the phospholipid bilayer can affect deformability. In 2010, Mohanty et al. (2010) reported that 15% of erythrocytes in AD were elongated and suggested that a potential link between changes in the erythrocyte proteome could contribute to AD pathology. Deformability and impaired reformability, particularly after erythrocytes have moved through capillaries, reduces their oxygen carrying capacity, potentiating transient states of hypoxia. Figure 6 illustrates erythrocyte deformability as well as loss of membrane integrity in typical blood samples from individual’s diagnosed with AD. It is clear to see how the loss of the typical bi-concave structure of these erythrocytes would impair their physiological functioning.
FIGURE 6

Erythrocytes from healthy individuals (A–B) and individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s type dementia (C–F). (C) Serum ferritin: 57 ng.L-1(D) Serum ferritin: 256 ng.L-1(E) Serum ferritin: 302 ng.L-1(F) Serum ferritin: 302 ng.L-1 (100,000× machine magnification of erythrocyte membrane). Unpublished data from
Nitric Oxide Regulation
The dysregulation of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis is prevalent in many diseased conditions (
NO is synthesized by three isoforms of nitric oxide synthases. Although NO has vasoactive, immunological and neurophysiological functions, it can be neurotoxic at high concentrations and has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases (Law et al., 2001). In this regard, erythrocytes have an important role in vascular function. Normally, erythrocytes regulate hemostasis by balancing oxygen delivery and NO scavenging and production. More specifically, hemoglobin (Hb) compartmentalization and encapsulation reduces an erythrocyte’s ability to scavenge NO. However, in various diseases hemolysis introduces cell-free Hb into circulation, increasing NO scavenging and inducing hypertension (
Furthermore, NO can exert its neurotoxic effects through three main mechanisms. Firstly, NO is a free radical which can react with superoxide anions to produce another damaging radical, peroxynitrite (
Together, pathological coagulation and altered nitric oxide regulation can enhance the propensity of spontaneous clot formation in cerebral arteries and arterioles. These clots are more resistant to degradation, due to amylodiogenesis of fibrin fibers in the presence of ferric irons, and may thus potentiate transient periods of hypoxia in the brain, promoting the occurrence of MD.
Conclusion
While numerous hypotheses for the pathogenesis of AD exist (extensively reviewed by Law et al., 2001;
FIGURE 7

Schematic representation of The Iron Dysregulation and Dormant Microbes hypothesis. With reference to the scheme it is plausible that systemic inflammation caused by stress induced iron dysregulation and subsequent microbial reactivation can lead to increased permeability of the blood brain barrier as well as a neuro-inflammatory environment which promotes neuronal cell death. The red arrows indicate factors which could contribute to synaptic loss and neuronal death. Dashed arrows have not been discussed in detail in this review but are recognized as contributors to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s-type dementias. Adapted from
As reviewed here, dysbiotic bacterial communities from the GI tract or microbes from other sources of infection, translocate into normally sterile tissues and blood to establish a dormant blood microbiome. Characteristic of AD (and many other chronic, inflammatory diseases;
Consent for Publication
All authors have read the paper and agree that it can be published.
Statements
Author contributions
LP wrote the paper. DK co-wrote the paper and edited the paper. EP co-wrote the paper and is the study leader.
Funding
Funders include the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grant No. BB/L025752/1) as well as the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa (91548: Competitive Program) and the Medical Research Council of South Africa (MRC) (Self-Initiated Research Program) for supporting this collaboration.
Acknowledgments
This is paper 18 in the series “A dormant blood microbiome in chronic, inflammatory disease”. We thank the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and the Medical Research Council (MRC) of South Africa, for financially supporting this collaboration.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Footnotes
1.^Presence of microbes in the wrong place, i.e., sterile environments such as blood.
2.^Extracellular bacterial amyloids.
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Summary
Keywords
Alzheimer’s type dementia, iron, gut dysbiosis, iron dysregulation and dormant microbes hypothesis, inflammation
Citation
Pretorius L, Kell DB and Pretorius E (2018) Iron Dysregulation and Dormant Microbes as Causative Agents for Impaired Blood Rheology and Pathological Clotting in Alzheimer’s Type Dementia. Front. Neurosci. 12:851. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00851
Received
04 September 2018
Accepted
30 October 2018
Published
16 November 2018
Volume
12 - 2018
Edited by
Isabella Zanella, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Italy
Reviewed by
Zhou Liu, Guangdong Medical University, China; Andrea Ticinesi, Università degli Studi di Parma, Italy
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© 2018 Pretorius, Kell and Pretorius.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Douglas B. Kell, dbk@manchester.ac.ukorcid.org/0000-0001-5838-7963 Etheresia Pretorius, resiap@sun.ac.zaorcid.org/0000-0002-9108-2384
† Present address: Douglas B. Kell, Dept of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
This article was submitted to Neurodegeneration, a section of the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience
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