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.
Miyazono
M
M
Department of Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Iwaki
T
T
Kitamoto
T
T
Kaneko
Y
Y
Doh-ura
K
K
Tateishi
J
J
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