Anti-brain spectrin immunoreactivity in Alzheimer's disease: degradation of spectrin in an animal model of cholinergic degeneration.
In a previous work, we described the existence of anti-brain spectrin auto antibodies in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients (J. Neuroimmunol. 68 (1996) 39-44). In this report, we further support our previous observations, showing that sera from 9 out of 18 AD patients, but none of 14 control subjects, immunoreacted with spectrin synthesized by PC12 cells. In addition, degradation of brain spectrin was found to be greatly enhanced in the frontal cortex of rats subjected to an animal model of cholinergic degeneration. Our data suggest that spectrin degradation and generation of anti-spectrin auto antibodies may be related to the cholinergic degeneration encountered in AD.
Fernández-Shaw
C
C
Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochod, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Marina
A
A
Cazorla
P
P
Valdivieso
F
F
Vázquez
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000502:physiology; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013049:Spectrin / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D001323:Autoantibodies; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D013049:Spectrin