title: Molecular and cellular characterization of the membrane attack complex, C5b-9, in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: The membrane attack complex, C5b-9, is of considerable importance in many inflammatory reactions. It is the terminal, cytolytic component of both classical and alternative pathway activation, and its presence presupposes other potentially destructive complement constituents, including anaphylotoxins and opsonins. We have characterized C5b-9 and its C9 constituent in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) and nondemented elderly (ND) brain using immunohistochemistry at the light and electron microscopic levels, Western blot analysis, and the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We have also conducted in vitro ELISA assays of amyloid beta-peptide-stimulated SC5b-9 production. C5b-9 is abundantly present in Alzheimer's disease cortex, associated with neurofibrillary tangle containing neurons, dystrophic neurites within neuritic plaques, and neuropil threads, but is weakly detected, if at all, in nondemented elderly cortex under the same conditions. Staining of Alzheimer's disease sections is abolished both by deletion of primary antibody or preabsorption with purified SC5b-9.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine 92697, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lue
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brachova
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Tenner
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: McGeer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terai
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bradt
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex