1st order laboratory parameters – obligatory laboratory tests.
- Small blood count [MCV ↑ → possible indication of alcohol dependence, vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency]
- Differential blood count
- Electrolytes (blood salts) – calcium, sodium.
- Inflammatory parameters – CRP (C-reactive protein) or ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate).
- Fasting glucose (fasting blood glucose), if necessary oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT).
- Thyroid parameters (TSH, fT4) – to exclude latent hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism) or latent hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism).
- Liver parameters – aspartate aminotransferase (AST, GOT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT, GPT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT, gamma-GT; GGT) [γ-GT ↑, possible indication of alcohol dependence].
- Renal parameters – urea, creatinine, possibly cystatin C or creatinine clearance.
- Atherosclerosis parameters:
- Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol.
- Triglycerides
- Homocysteine
- Exclusion of the following infectious diseases – Lyme disease (Borrelia antibodies), syphilis (lues) (TPHA screening test) or HIV (HIV screening test), tuberculosis.
- Exclusion of vitamin deficiency:
- Cholecalciferol (vitamin D)
- Cobalamin (vitamin B12)
- Folic acid
- Nicotinic acid/niacin (vitamin B3)
- Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
- Thiamine (vitamin B1)
- Testosterone [in men]
Laboratory parameters 2nd order – depending on the results of the history, physical examination, etc. – for differential diagnostic clarification.
- Blood gases, arterial
- Serum albumin
- Ammonia level
- Apolipoprotein E genotyping (APOE4, OMIM104310), HLA-B 7 + HLA-Cw3 (due toAlzheimer-type dementia).
- Copper
- Heavy metals (arsenic, lead, mercury, thallium).
- CO hemoglobin
- Carbodeficient transferrin (CDT) ↑ (in chronic alcoholism)* * .
- Narcotic drugs (alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, bromides).
- CSF puncture (collection of cerebrospinal fluid by puncture of the spinal canal) for CSF diagnosis [hTAU protein* and ß-amyloid (1-42) (due todementia of Alzheimer’s type)].
* Tau protein is considered a process marker in CNS diseases* * With abstinence, levels normalize within 10-14 days.
Assessment of apolipoprotein E genotyping.
| E2 genotype | Association with type III hyperlipoproteinemia |
| Genotype E3 | Association with elevated plasma LDL cholesterol. |
| Genotype E4 | Predisposition to the familial late form as well as the sporadic form of Alzheimer-type dementia. |
