title: Alzheimer patients and Down patients: abnormal presynaptic terminals are related to cerebral preamyloid deposits.
abstract: In Alzheimer's disease, in Down syndrome and in normal aging, scattered deposits of amyloid fibril precursors occur in both cerebral cortex and subcortical grey structures. Within such preamyloid deposits, no degenerating neurites with paired helical filaments have ever been observed. This study, carried out on brains from Alzheimer patients and Down patients, reports on the relationship between preamyloid deposits and neuritic changes. These changes were represented by presynaptic terminal swellings immunolabeled by antisynaptophysin and antiubiquitin antibodies, not by Alz50. These findings support the view that the deposition of amyloid fibril precursors in the neuropil is closely related to presynaptic terminals, although whether the former precedes or follows the development of presynaptic terminal changes is still undetermined.
authors.affiliation: Istituto neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bugiani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giaccone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Verga
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pollo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghetti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frangione
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tagliavini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism*; D000941:Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016708:Synaptophysin; D014452:Ubiquitins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C056167:Alzheimer's disease antigen; D000682:Amyloid; D000941:Antigens; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016708:Synaptophysin; D014452:Ubiquitins