Microglia, amyloid and dementia in alzheimer disease. A correlative study.
To elucidate the role of microglia in Alzheimer's disease, a clinicopathological study was performed involving 26 cases, the mental status of which had been studied pre mortem by the Blessed test score (BTS). We measured the volume density of CD 68 immunoreactive (IR) microglia, congophilic plaques and Abeta deposits, and the numerical density of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in a sample of Area 9 (middle frontal gyrus). Dementia was significantly correlated only with the volume density of Abeta deposits and the numerical density of NFT. The volume densities of microglia and congophilic plaques were strongly correlated. With the intellectual status used as a time scale, IR microglia and amyloid deposits appeared almost simultaneously at an early stage in the pathological cascade and decreased, whereas Abeta and NFT were still accumulating. The intellectual deficit seemed to be more significantly related to the latter two lesions than to the microglia-amyloid complex, that was visible at an earlier stage (around BTS = 15).
Arends
Y M
YM
Neurosciences Research Institute, Amsterdam Free University, The Netherlands.
Duyckaerts
C
C
Rozemuller
J M
JM
Eikelenboom
P
P
Hauw
J J
JJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis; D003224:Congo Red / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
D000682:Amyloid; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003224:Congo Red; D016875:tau Proteins; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule