HB-GAM is a cytokine present in Alzheimer's and Down's syndrome lesions.
The distribution of heparin binding growth associated molecule (HB-GAM) in the cerebral amyloidoses of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down's syndrome (DS), conditions characterized by the deposition of amyloid beta (A beta), was investigated immunohistochemically. Antibodies to HB-GAM, a cytokine which plays an important role in brain development and maturation, showed strong immunoreactivity with senile plaques in both AD and DS. Anti-HB-GAM reacted with pre-amyloid lesions, but only when markers of dystrophic neurites were present. The presence of HB-GAM in AD brains, but not in control brains, was confirmed by Western blotting. We suggest that the presence of HB-GAM in A beta lesions is a marker of neuronal injury.
Wisniewski
T
T
Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016, USA.
Lalowski
M
M
Baumann
M
M
Rauvala
H
H
Raulo
E
E
Nolo
R
R
Frangione
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; C066845:pleiotrophin