title: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy and its relationship to Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is characterized by the deposition of the amyloid beta-protein (A beta) within cerebral vessels. The involvement of different brain areas in CAA follows a hierarchical sequence similar to that of Alzheimer-related senile plaques. Alzheimer's disease patients frequently exhibit CAA. The expansion of CAA in AD often shows the pattern of full-blown CAA. The deposition of A beta within capillaries distinguishes two types of CAA. One with capillary A beta-deposition is characterized by a strong association with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon 4 allele and by its frequent occurrence in Alzheimer's disease cases whereas the other one lacking capillary A beta-deposits is not associated with APOE epsilon 4. Capillary CAA can be seen in every stage of CAA or AD-related A beta-deposition. AD cases with capillary CAA show more widespread capillary A beta-deposition than non-demented cases as well as capillary occlusion. In a mouse model of CAA, capillary CAA was associated with capillary occlusion and cerebral blood flow disturbances. Thus, blood flow alterations with subsequent hypoperfusion induced by CAA-related capillary occlusion presumably point to a second mechanism in which A beta adversely affects the brain in AD in addition to its direct neurotoxic effects.
authors: Laboratory of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 7, 89081 Ulm, Germany. dietmar.thal@uni-ulm.de
authors: Dietmar Rudolf
authors: DR
authors: Thal
authors: W Sue T
authors: WS
authors: Griffin
authors: Rob A I
authors: RA
authors: de Vos
authors: Estifanos
authors: E
authors: Ghebremedhin
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics; D016657:Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4