Frequency and distribution of TUNEL-positive neurons in brains of dementia with Lewy bodies: comparison with those in brains of Alzheimer's disease.
The present study investigated the frequency and distribution of TUNEL-positive neurons in brains of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in comparison with those in brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD), Down syndrome (DS) and non-demented elderly persons. In DLB brains, TUNEL-positive neurons were increased in frequency compared with those in non-demented elderly brains, and showed a distribution similar to those in AD and DS brains. DLB cases with TUNEL-positive neurons showing severe Lewy pathology were all neocortical type, while DLB cases of the limbic type showing mild Lewy pathology did not demonstrate TUNEL-positive neurons. In addition, we investigated the relationships between TUNEL-positive neurons and pathological hallmarks of DLB or AD brains. TUNEL-positive neurons had no Lewy bodies or neurofibrillary tangles, and were not located within amyloid deposits. These findings suggest that neuronal damage showing DNA fragmentations occurs in DLB brains as well as in AD and DS brains, and that it is accelerated by progression of Lewy pathology as well as Alzheimer pathology, although it is not directly related to their pathological hallmarks.
Katsuse
O
O
Department of Psychiatry, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan.
Iseki
E
E
Suzuki
K
K
Kosaka
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*