Improved detection of substantia nigra pathology in Alzheimer's disease

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The role of substantia nigra pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is uncertain. Detection of pathology may be obscured by intraneuronal neuromelanin and influenced by stains. We determined methods for optimal visualization of nigral pathology in 45 cases of AD. For detection of Lewy bodies (LBs), we compared ubiquitin and alpha-synuclein immunostains to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). For neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and neuropil threads (NTs), we compared Gallyas silver and paired helical filament (PHF) immunostains, after bleaching of melanin, to modified Bielschowsky, Gallyas, and PHF alone. The number of LB cases was not different using the three stains. However, more LBs per section were detected using alpha-synuclein (z=4.88, p<0.001). Twice the number of cases exhibited NFT (z=8.21; p<0.001) and the mean NFT number per section was 2.8-5.2-fold greater, using Gallyas and PHF after bleaching compared to without bleaching (chi(2)=142.17; p<0.001). More NTs (z=6.54; p<0.001) were observed with PHF and Gallyas after bleaching. With optimal methods, we found LBs in 27%, NFTs in 89%, and NTs in all 45 AD cases. We show that detection of nigra pathology is influenced by histological method. Clinicopathological studies using these methods are needed to determine the role of nigral pathology in AD.

Medical Subject Headings

Aged; Alzheimer Disease (pathology); Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lewy Bodies (pathology); Male; Middle Aged; Neurofibrillary Tangles (pathology); Neuropil Threads (pathology); Silver Staining; Substantia Nigra (pathology)

Publication Date

1-1-2002

Publication Title

The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society

ISSN

0022-1554

Volume

50

Issue

1

First Page

99

Last Page

106

PubMed ID

11748299

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1177/002215540205000111

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS