Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 206, Issues 2–3, 15 March 1996, Pages 169-172
Neuroscience Letters

Granules in glial cells of patients with Alzheimer's disease are immunopositive for C-terminal sequences of β-amyloid protein

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(96)12474-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Granular structures that are recognized by antibodies specific for the C-terminal but not the N-terminal sequences of the β-amyloid protein (Aβ) fragments are present in a subset of microglia and astrocytes in Alzheimer brain tissue. The immunohistochemical profile indicates that the Aβ in these granules is truncated between the residues 17 and 31 and terminates at the residue 42 or 43. Such granule-containing glia occur only in brain areas with the heavy Aβ deposits. Whether the intraglial Aβ fragments accumulate as a result of phagocytosis of extracellular Aβ or are formed intracellularly by glial cells from amyloid precursor protein (APP) remains unknown.

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This research was supported by grants-in-aid from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (05807056 and 07264244), and the Alzheimer Society of B.C., as well as donations from individual British Columbians.

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