CRP and atherosclerosis: For example, in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), proinflammatory cytokine receptor density and expression are increased in regions of neurodegeneration, including the medial frontal and temporal cortices.38 Higher inflammation levels have also been related to progression of atherosclerosis, with evidence for differential effects of CRP in different beds of the arterial brain supply.39,40 These findings suggest that raised levels of inflammatory mediators may contribute to localized brain atrophy via their differential expression in brain tissue and cerebrovasculature.