Degeneration process of Lewy bodies in the brains of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies using alpha-synuclein-immunohistochemistry.
We investigated the degeneration process of Lewy bodies (LB) in the brains of dementia with Lewy bodies, using alpha-synuclein-immunohistochemistry. Intracellular LB, LB-related neurites and some extracellular LB were positively immunostained with anti-alpha-synuclein antibodies. Concentric LB-bearing neurons had no microglial involvement, while degenerated neurons with ill-defined LB displayed intense microglial involvement. The late stage of extracellular LB were immunoelectron-microscopically composed of loose aggregates of filamentous components with lost alpha-synuclein-immunoreactivity and penetrated astroglial processes. These findings suggest that microglias are involved during the stages from degenerated LB-bearing neurons to extracellular LB, while astroglias are involved during the stage of extracellular LB. Some intracellular LB were positive for anti-C3d and -C4d antibodies, suggesting that the classical complement pathway is activated in degenerated LB-bearing neurons, inducing microglial activation and neuronal death.
Iseki
E
E
Department of Psychiatry, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, 236-0004, Yokohama, Japan.
Marui
W
W
Akiyama
H
H
Uéda
K
K
Kosaka
K
K
D000368:Aged; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017628:Microglia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C497604:SNCA protein, human; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein