title: Non-Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangles show beta-amyloid-like immunoreactivity.
abstract: As well as being a neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are present in the brain in a number of other neurodegenerative conditions. beta-Amyloid (beta/A4) plaque formation is a central event in AD, although recent reports indicate that beta/A4, and its precursor protein (beta APP), are also associated with AD NFT. Using an antibody to a beta APP epitope overlapping the beta/A4 region, we demonstrate that immunoreactivity is found in extracellular NFT in Niemann-Pick disease, Hallervorden-Spatz disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. These NFT were not labelled with a beta/A4 antibody which recognizes plaque beta/A4 in AD, which supports the proposal that beta/A4 can exist in different conformations. Our results also imply a common mechanism of NFT development in different neurodegenerative conditions, including those not normally associated with substantial beta/A4 deposition or beta APP involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Sherriff
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bridges
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: De Souza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D000939:Epitopes; D016875:tau Proteins