title: A beta 42 is the predominant form of amyloid beta-protein in the brains of short-term survivors of head injury.
abstract: Fatal head injury results in the formation of diffuse parenchymal deposits of amyloid beta-protein (A beta) in the brains of approximately 30% of individuals. We used carboxyl terminal-specific antisera to examine the exact nature of these deposits in paraffin sections of neocortex from seven head-injured patients. Immunostaining for A beta 42 was observed in all parenchymal deposits whereas staining for A beta 40, the form of the protein which predominates in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, was seen in only a small proportion of deposits. The relative paucity of A beta 40 suggests that post-traumatic deposits do not arise as a result of passive leakage from damaged cerebral blood vessels but are similar to the early A beta 42 parenchymal deposits seen in Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gentleman
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noori
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis*; D017741:Survivors
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42)