title: A high ratio of chromogranin A to synaptin/synaptophysin is a common feature of brains in Alzheimer and Pick disease.
abstract: Chromogranin A and synaptin/synaptophysin were characterized by immunological methods in human autopsy brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's and Pick's disease. In immunoblots there was no qualitative difference between the antigens in control and diseased brain, but significant quantitative differences were found. In all Alzheimer cases there was a significantly lower level of synaptin/synaptophysin, whereas chromogranin A was higher in 4 out of 5 cases and in all cases relative to synaptin/synaptophysin. An analogous finding was obtained for Pick's disease. Immunohistologically a consistent staining of neuritic plaques for chromogranin A, but not for secretogranin II was found in Alzheimer cases. In Pick's disease the characteristic Pick bodies showed an analogous specific immunostaining.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lassmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jellinger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Winkler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003704:Dementia / Q000378:metabolism*; D015161:Dementia, Multi-Infarct / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016708:Synaptophysin
chemical_list: C506150:CHGA protein, human; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016708:Synaptophysin; C030625:synaptin