VTN and Alzheimer disease: Unsurprisingly due to the presence of degenerating neurons and insoluble plaques and tangles, neuroinflammation is an important aspect of the pathology of AD with identification of various complement proteins, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1, –6, and TNFα, and various other inflammatory proteins (including cyclooxygenases) that are present within the brains of AD patients [reviewed by Akiyama et al. (2000)].