Imaging of calcium and aluminum in neurofibrillary tangle-bearing neurons in parkinsonism-dementia of Guam.
We report the distribution and imaging of calcium and aluminum in neurofibrillary tangle (NFT)-bearing neurons within Sommer's sector of the hippocampus in Guamanian patients with parkinsonism-dementia, using a method of computer-controlled electron beam x-ray micro-analysis and wavelength dispersive spectrometry. Calcium and aluminum were distributed in cell bodies and axonal processes of NFT-bearing neurons. The elemental images show that both calcium and aluminum deposits occur within the same NFT-bearing hippocampal neuron in this dementing disease, suggesting that these elements are involved in NFT formation. No prominent concentrations of calcium and aluminum were imaged in non-NFT-containing regions within the pyramidal cell layer of the parkinsonism-dementia cases or in the control cases. These findings support the hypothesis that secondary hyperparathyroidism resulting from low environmental calcium and magnesium in the high-incidence focus of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and parkinsonism-dementia on Guam had led to abnormal deposition of calcium and aluminum in the central nervous system.
D000368:Aged; D000535:Aluminum / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006141:Guam; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D000535:Aluminum; D002118:Calcium