Abstract
Increased levels of pregnancy zone protein (PZP) were found in the serum of persons who later developed Alzheimer's disease (AD) in comparison to controls who remained dementia free. We suggested that this increase is due to brain derived PZP entering the blood stream during the early phase of the disease. Here we investigate the possible involvement of PZP in human AD pathogenesis. We observed increased PZP immunoreactivity in AD postmortem brain cortex compared to non-demented controls. In the AD cortex, PZP immunoreactivity localized to microglial cells that interacted with senile plaques and was occasionally observed in neurons. Our data link the finding of elevated serum PZP levels with the characteristic AD pathology and identify PZP as a novel component in AD.
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s disease; microglia; pregnancy zone protein.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Aged
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Aged, 80 and over
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Alzheimer Disease / pathology*
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Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
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Antibodies / metabolism
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CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1
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Chromatography, Liquid
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Diagnosis
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Female
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Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
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Humans
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Immunoprecipitation
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Neurofibrillary Tangles / metabolism
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Neurofibrillary Tangles / pathology
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Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / metabolism
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Plaque, Amyloid / metabolism*
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Plaque, Amyloid / pathology*
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Pregnancy Proteins / genetics
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Pregnancy Proteins / immunology
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Pregnancy Proteins / metabolism*
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RNA, Messenger / metabolism
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Receptors, Chemokine / metabolism
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Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Substances
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Amyloid beta-Peptides
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Antibodies
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CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1
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CX3CR1 protein, human
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Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
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PZP protein, human
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Pregnancy Proteins
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RNA, Messenger
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Receptors, Chemokine
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Phosphopyruvate Hydratase