Vascular smooth muscle actin is reduced in Alzheimer disease brain: a quantitative analysis.
We analyzed smooth muscle actin (SMA) immunoreactivity in brain blood vessels of 10 ApoE 4,4 Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and 10 ApoE 3,3 AD patients matched for age, sex, and duration of dementia. We also examined 10 cognitively and neuropathologically normal controls matched for age and sex. Vascular SMA immunoreactivity in the arachnoid, grey matter, and white matter was quantified by image analysis. There was less SMA immunoreactivity in blood vessels of all AD patients when compared to cognitively and neuropathologically normal controls (p < 0.001). In addition, arachnoidal vessels of ApoE 4,4 AD patients had less SMA immunoreactivity than ApoE 3,3 AD patients (p < 0.05). There is decreased vascular SMA density in arachnoid, grey matter, and white matter blood vessels in patients with AD when compared to age matched, cognitively and neuropathologically normal controls. The severity of the loss of SMA within the AD group may depend on ApoE type.
Duke University Medical Center, Department of Pathology, Neuropathology, Division of Neurology, Joseph and Kathleen Price Bryan Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
John F
JF
Ervin
Catherine
C
Pannell
Mari
M
Szymanski
Kathleen
K
Welsh-Bohmer
Donald E
DE
Schmechel
Christine M
CM
Hulette
D000199:Actins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D001099:Arachnoid / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values
D000199:Actins; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E