title: HB-GAM is a cytokine present in Alzheimer's and Down's syndrome lesions.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wisniewski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lalowski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rauvala
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raulo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nolo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frangione
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; C066845:pleiotrophin