Brain interleukin 1 and S-100 immunoreactivity are elevated in Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease.
Interleukin 1, an immune response-generated cytokine that stimulates astrocyte proliferation and reactivity (astrogliosis), was present in up to 30 times as many glial cells in tissue sections of brain from patients with Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease compared with age-matched control subjects. Most interleukin 1-immunoreactive glia in Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease were classified as microglia. The number of interleukin 1 immunoreactive neurons did not appear to differ in Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease compared with control brain. Numerous temporal lobe astrocytes in Alzheimer disease and postnatal Down syndrome were intensely interleukin 1-, S-100-, and glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive and had reactive structure. Interleukin 1 levels in Alzheimer disease temporal lobe homogenates were elevated, as were the levels of S-100 and glial fibrillary acidic protein, two proteins reportedly elevated in reactive astrocytes. These data suggest that increased expression of S-100 in Down syndrome, resulting from duplication of the gene on chromosome 21 that encodes the beta subunit of S-100, may be augmented by elevation of interleukin 1. As a corollary, the astrogliosis in Alzheimer disease may be promoted by elevation of interleukin 1.
Griffin
W S
WS
Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205.
Stanley
L C
LC
Ling
C
C
White
L
L
MacLeod
V
V
Perrot
L J
LJ
White
C L
CL
Araoz
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D005333:Fetus; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000473:pathology; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1; D009418:S100 Proteins