title: Loss of calbindin-D28K is associated with the full range of tangle pathology within basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN) are selectively vulnerable in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have shown that most of the BFCN in the human brain contain the calcium-binding protein calbindin-D28K (CB), a large proportion lose their CB in the course of normal aging, and the BFCN which degenerate in AD lack CB. Here, we investigated the relationship between CB in the BFCN and the process of tangle formation in AD using antibodies to tau epitopes that appear early, intermediate or late in the process of tangle formation. Very small percentages (0%-3.7%) of CB-positive BFCN contained pretangles and/or tangles, and very small percentages (0%-5%) of the total BFCN pretangles and/or tangles were in CB-immunoreactive neurons. The number of CB-positive BFCN which contained tau immunoreactivity was highest for the early epitope and lower for intermediate epitopes. A late appearing epitope was absent from CB-positive BFCN. Age-related loss of CB appears to coincide with tangle formation in the BFCN and is associated with the full range of tau pathology, including late appearing epitopes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognitive and Molecular Morphometry, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA.
authors.forename: Saman S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ahmadian
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognitive and Molecular Morphometry, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA.
authors.forename: Aras
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rezvanian
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognitive and Molecular Morphometry, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognitive and Molecular Morphometry, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weintraub
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognitive and Molecular Morphometry, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA.
authors.forename: Eileen H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Bigio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognitive and Molecular Morphometry, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA.
authors.forename: Marek-Marsel
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mesulam
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognitive and Molecular Morphometry, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA. Electronic address: c-geula@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Changiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geula
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D066187:Basal Forebrain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D064026:Calbindins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*; D059329:Cholinergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D064026:Calbindins; D000939:Epitopes; D016875:tau Proteins
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons; Calbindin-D(28k); Selective neuronal vulnerability; Tangles; Tau epitope