A comparative immunohistochemical study of Kuru and senile plaques with a special reference to glial reactions at various stages of amyloid plaque formation.
The authors examined 10 patients with Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and 10 with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Immunohistochemistry using anti-prion protein (PrP) and anti-beta/A4 protein (beta/A4) coupled with formic acid pretreatment could detect Congophilic and non-Congophilic deposits. Prion protein deposits were classified into five types and compared with types of beta/A4 deposits. Kuru plaques with multicentric cores and fine granular deposits were a characteristic feature of PrP deposits. Some types of PrP or beta/A4 deposits depend on the anatomic sites. To clarify the relationship of microglia and astrocytes to PrP or beta/A4 deposits, double-immunostaining method was performed. In both kuru and senile plaques, microglia were closely linked to the Congophilic plaques. Astrocytes, however, extended their processes toward the plaques even in the non-Congophilic plaques. These observations strongly suggest that similar glial association with plaque formation may be involved in both kuru and senile plaques, although the amyloid core proteins differ.
Department of Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
M
M
Miyazono
T
T
Iwaki
T
T
Kitamoto
Y
Y
Kaneko
K
K
Doh-ura
J
J
Tateishi
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016098:Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007729:Kuru / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018620:PrPSc Proteins; D011328:Prions / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D000682:Amyloid; D018620:PrPSc Proteins; D011328:Prions; D014764:Viral Proteins