Midkine, a novel neurotrophic factor, is present in senile plaques of Alzheimer disease.
An affinity purified antibody specific for midkine (MK) stained senile plaques in the brain of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. After formic acid treatment, plaque staining was dramatically enhanced, and almost all beta-amyloid protein (BAP) deposits were also immunoreactive for MK. MK-immunoreactivity was not observed in normal cellular components nor in other pathological lesions including tangles in AD brain. Control brain sections were not immunoreactive for MK. The presence of MK in AD brain but not in control brain was confirmed by Western blotting. MK appears to be involved in the pathological process leading to senile plaque formation.
Yasuhara
O
O
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Muramatsu
H
H
Kim
S U
SU
Muramatsu
T
T
Maruta
H
H
McGeer
P L
PL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D000078792:Midkine
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D000078792:Midkine