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02-11-2007, 12:52 PM | #1 | ||
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Links to research with relevance to Alzheimers
http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/ab...j.05-4890fjev1 another transmissible protein amyloidosis? what does this implicate with Alzheimer's and TSE, if anything?.........TSS CJD1/9 0185 http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...1/05004001.pdf http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...1/04001001.pdf Regarding Alzheimer's disease (note the substantial increase on a yearly basis) http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...7/08014001.pdf snip... The pathogenesis of these diseases was compared to Alzheimer's disease at a molecular level... snip... http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...3/12003001.pdf And NONE of this is relevant to BSE? There is also the matter whether the spectrum of ''prion disease'' is wider than that recognized at present. http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...7/06005001.pdf Human BSE snip... These are not relevant to any possible human hazard from BSE nor to the much more common dementia, Alzheimers. snip... http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...7/09001001.pdf ================================================== === From: TSS Subject: CJD or Alzheimer's, THE PA STUDY...full text Date: May 7, 2001 at 10:24 am PST Diagnosis of dementia: Clinicopathologic correlations Francois Boller, MD, PhD; Oscar L. Lopez, MD; and John Moossy, MD Article abstract--Based on 54 demented patients consecutively autopsied at the University of Pittsburgh, we studied the accuracy of clinicians in predicting the pathologic diagnosis. Thirty-nine patients (72.2%) had Alzheimer's disease, while 15 (27.7%) had other CNS diseases (four multi-infarct dementia; three Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; two thalamic and subcortical gliosis; three Parkinson's disease; one progressive supranuclear palsy; one Huntington's disease; and one unclassified). Two neurologists independently reviewed the clinical records of each patient without knowledge of the patient's identity or clinical or pathologic diagnoses; each clinician reached a clinical diagnosis based on criteria derived from those of the NINCDS/ADRDA. In 34 (63 %) cases both clinicians were correct, in nine (17%) one was correct, and in 11 (20%) neither was correct. These results show that in patients with a clinical diagnosis of dementia, the etiology cannot be accurately predicted during life. NEUROLOGY 1989;39:76-79 Several recent papers and reports have addressed the problem of improving the clinician's ability to diagnose dementia. Notable among those reports are the diagnostic criteria for dementia of the American Psychiatric Association, known as DSM III,1 as well as the clinical and neuropathologic criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).2,3 Other researchers have published guidelines for the differentiation of various types of dementia4 and for antemortem predictions about the neuropathologic findings of demented patients.5 Most studies on the accuracy of clinical diagnosis in patients with dementia, especially AD, have used clinicopathologic correlation,6-15 and have found a percentage of accuracy ranging from 43% to 87%. Two recent reports, however,16,17 have claimed an accuracy of 100%. These two reports are based on relatively small series and have consisted of very highly selected patient samples. In our own recent experience, several cases of dementia have yielded unexpected neuropathologic findings,18 and we hypothesized that, in larger series, there would be a significant number of discrepancies between clinical diagnoses and autopsy findings. The present paper reviews the neuropathologic diagnosis of 54 demented patients who were autopsied consecutively at the University of Pittsburgh over a 7-year period, and reports the ability of clinicians to predict autopsy findings. Material and methods. We independently reviewed the pathologic data and clinical records of 54 consecutive patients who had had an autopsy at the University of Pittsburgh (Presbyterian University Hospital [PUH] and the Pittsburgh (University Drive) Veterans Administration Medical Center [VAMC]), between 1980 and 1987. The 54 cases included all those where dementia was diagnosed clinically but for which an obvious etiology, such as neoplasm, trauma, major vascular lesions, or clinically evident infection had not been found. The brains, evaluated by the Division of Neuropathology of the University of Pittsburgh, were obtained from patients cared for in different settings at their time of death. On the basis of the amount of information available in each case, we divided the patients into three groups. Group 1 included 12 subjects who had been followed for a minimum of 1 year by the Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC) of the University of Pittsburgh. ADRC evaluations include several visits and neurologic and neuropsychological testing as well as repeated laboratory tests, EEG, and CT.19,20 Group 2 included 28 patients who had been seen in the Neurology Service of PUH, of the VAMC, or in geriatric or psychiatric facilities of the University of Pittsburgh or at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. All patients were personally evaluated by a neurologist and received a work-up to elucidate the etiology of their dementia. Group 3 included 14 patients seen in other institutions; in most cases, they had also been seen by a neurologist and had had laboratory studies that included CT of the head. In three of the 14 cases, however, the information could be gathered only from the clinical summary found in the autopsy records. Many of these subjects were referred for autopsy to the ADRC because of a public education campaign that encourages families to seek an autopsy for their relatives with dementia. Pathologic data. All brains were removed by a neuropathologist as the first procedure of the autopsy at postmortem intervals of between 4 and 12 hours. The unfixed brain was weighed and the brainstem and cerebellum were separated by intercollicular section. The cerebral hemispheres were sectioned at 1-cm intervals and placed on a glass surface cooled by ice to prevent adhesion of the tissue to the cutting surface. The brainstem and cerebellum were sectioned in the transverse plane at 6-mm intervals. Brain sections were fixed in 10% buffered formalin. Selected tissue blocks for light microscopy were obtained from sections corresponding as exactly as possible to a set of predetermined areas used for processing brains for the ADRC protocol; additional details of the neuropathologic protocol have been previously published.18,21 Following standard tissue processing and paraffin embedding, 8-um-thick sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin and with the Bielschowsky ammoniacal silver nitrate impregnation were evaluted. Additional stains were used when indicated by the survey stains, including the Bielschowsky silver technique as previously reported.21 Clinical data. The medical history, as well as the results of examinations and laboratory tests, were obtained from the medical records libraries of the institutions where the patient had been followed and had died. We supplemented these data, when appropriate, with a personal or telephone interview with the relatives. One neurologist (O.L.L.) recorded the information to be evaluated on two forms. The first form included sex, age, handedness, age at onset, age at death, course and duration of the disease, education, family history, EEG, CT, NMR, medical history, and physical examinationas well as examination of blood and CSF for factors that could affect memory and other cognitive functions. The form also listed the results of neuropsychological assessment, and the characteristics and course of psychiatric and neurologic symptoms. The form provided details on the presence, nature, and course of cognitive deficits and neurologic signs. The second form was a 26-item checklist derived from the NINCDS-ADRDA Work Group Criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease.2 The forms did not include the patient's identity, the institution where they had been evaluated, the clinical diagnosis, or the pathologic findings. Each form was reviewed independently by two other neurologists (F.B. and J.M.), who were asked to provide a clinical diagnosis. In cases of probable or possible AD, the two neurologists followed the diagnostic criteria of the NINCDS/ ADRDA work group.2 The results were tabulated on a summary sheet filled out after the two neurologists had provided their diagnosis on each case. The sheet included the diagnosis reached by the two neurologists and the diagnosis resulting from the autopsy. Table 1. Pathologic diagnosis in 54 patients with dementia N % Alzheimer's disease alone 34 62.9 Alzheimer's disease and 2 3.7 Parkinsons's disease Alzheimer's disease with 2 3.7 multi-infarct dementia Alzheimer's disease with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 39 72.2 Total Alzheimers disease 39 72.2 Multi-infarct dementia 4 7.4 Multi-infarct dementa 1 1.8 with Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease 2 3.7 Progressive subcortical gliosis 2 3.7 Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease 3 5.5 Progressive supranuclear palsy 1 1.8 Huntington's disease 1 1.8 Unclassified 1 1.8 Total other disease 15 27.7 Total all cases 54 Table 2. Clinical diagnosis Clinical diagnosis Clinician #1 --- #2 Probable AD 29 21 Probable AD and MID 3 0 Probable AD and thyroid disease 1 2 Probable AD and PD 3 1 Probable AD and ALS 1 0 Probable AD and 0 1 olivopontocerebellar degeneration Total probable AD 37 25 (68.5%) (46.2%) Possible AD 3 2 Possible AD and MID 2 2 Possible AD and alcoholism 0 1 Possible AD and depression 1 0 Possible and thyroid disease 0 3 Possible AD and traumatic 1 2 encephalopathy Possible AD and PD 3 6 Total Possible AD 10 16 (18.5%) (29.6%) Atypical AD 0 1 Atuypical AD and MID 0 1 MID 2 4 MID and PD 3 0 Dementia syndrome of depression 0 1 HD 1 1 Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome 1 0 Dementia of unknown etiology 0 5 Total 54 54 Results. The subjects included 26 women and 28 men who ranged in age from 30 to 91 years (mean, 72.2; SD, 10.7). Autopsy findings. Table 1 shows that 39 (72.2%) of the 54 cases fulfilled histologic criteria for AD, with or without other histopathologic findings. The remaining 15 cases (27.7%) showed changes corresponding to other neurodegenerative disorders, cerebrovascular disease, or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Seven cases met the histopathologic criteria for multi-infarct de-mentia (MID). Five cases (9.2%) showed changes associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). Twenty-two of the 39 AD patients (56%) were age 65 or greater at the time of the onset of the disease. Seven of the 15 patients in the group with other diseases (47%) were age 65 or older at the time of disease onset. Clinical diagnosis. There was a general adherence to the criteria specified by McKhann et al.2 However, the two clinicians in this study considered the diagnosis of probable AD when the probability of AD was strong even if a patient had another disease potentially associated with dementia that might or might not have made some contribution to the patient's clinical state (table 2). Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis (table 3). Group 1 (N = 12). There were six men and six women. Ten cases (83.3%) met the histologic criteria for AD. In nine cases (75.0%), the diagnosis of both clinicians agreed with the pathologic findings; in the other case (8.3%), one clinical diagnosis agreed with the histologic findings. The remaining two cases (16.6%) had histopathologic diagnoses of CJD and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), respectively. Both cases were incorrectly diagnosed by both clinicians. Group 2 (N = 28). There were 11 women and 17 men. Eighteen cases (64.2%) had the histopathologic features for AD with or without additional findings. Sixteen of these cases (57.1%) were correctly diagnosed by both clinicians, one case by one of them, and both incorrectly diagnosed one case. The remaining ten cases (35.7%) included two with CJD; two with subcortical gliosis (SG); two with PD, one of which was associated with MID; one case of Huntington's disease (HD); two cases with MID; and one unclassifed. Only one, the HD case (3.5%), was correctly diagnosed by both observers, and four cases (14.2%), two MID and two PD, one associated with MID, were correctly diagnosed by one clinician. Group 3 (N = 14). In this group there were nine women and five men. Eleven cases (78.5%) met the histopathologic criteria for AD with or without additional findings. Eight of these cases (57.1%) were correctly diagnosed by both clinicians, two cases by one of them, while both were incorrect in one case. Of the remaining three cases (21.4%), only one was correctly diagnosed (7.1%) by one clinician. Both missed the two other cases of MID. There was no statistically significant difference in diagnostic agreement across patient groups in which the amount of clinical information was different (X2 = 1.19; p > 0.05). Table 3. Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis by two clinicians Both One Neither Correct Correct Correct Group 1 (N = 12) 9 1 2(16.6%) Group 2 (N = 28) 17 5 6(21.4%) Group 3 (N = 14) 8 3 3(21.4%) Table 4. Previously reported studies of clinicopathologic correlation in demented patients* Agreement % Number of cases AD Retrospective studies Todorov et al, 1975(7) 776 43 Perl et al, 1984(9) 26 81 Wade et al, 1987(12) 65 85 Alafuzoff et al, 1987(13) 55 63 Kokmen at al, 1987(14) 32 72 Joachim et al, 1987(15) 150 87 Prospective studies Sulkava et al, 1983(8) 27 82 Molsa et al, 1985(10) 58 71 Neary et al, 1986(11) 24 75 Martin et al, 1987(16) 11 100 Morris et al, 1987(17) 25 100 * Certain differences in methodology need clarification. Some authors7,8,10,11,12,13,16,17 tabulated patients with AD alone, and others9,14,15 included patients with AD plus other diseases, eg, Parkinson's disease and MID. We have combined AD alone and AD plus MID and other neurodegenerative diseases. Discussion. Our results indicate that in a population of patients with dementias of varied etiology, the diagnosis could be correctly inferred by at least one of two clinicians in approximately 80% of cases. For one observer, the sensitivity of clinical diagnosis for AD was 85% and the specificity was 13%, and for the other, it was 95% and 33% respectively. In the cases with a discrepancy between the clinical diagnosis and the neuropathologic findings, the great majority of patients had atypical clinical courses and findings. The three cases with autopsy findings of CJD had a much longer course than is usually seen with that condition and failed to show the usual EEG abnormalities. The patient with autopsy findings of PSP did not show the disorder in the extraocular movements usually associated with that condition. An atypical course was also present for two AD cases and two MID cases that did not have any feature suggestive of vascular disease. In one MID case, the CT did not show any focal lesions, while in the other it was not available. With regard to the two patients with SG, the pathologic diagnosis is so unusual and so infrequently recorded that clear clinical correlates are not evident.18 The third category of possible error is the patient listed as unclassified, for whom no specific neuropathologic diagnosis could be reached.22 The small number of neuropathologic diagnoses of Parkinson's disease reflects that, for the purpose of this series, the diagnosis of PD was made only when there were both a clear-cut clinical history and the neuropathologic findings characteristic of the disease, such as Lewy bodies, neuronal loss, globose neurofibrillary tangles, astrocytosis, and extraneuronal melanin pigment in substantia nigra and locus ceruleus. Are these results derived from a sample of 54 patients representative of disease patterns in the community? Generally, the diagnosis of patients reported from major medical centers tend to be biased since the more complicated cases are referred there. In this study, however, this bias may be less important. Due to the major public education campaign about dementia and AD sponsored by the ADRC, there is a widespread awareness in Pittsburgh and in the surrounding regions of Western Pennsylvania of the value of an autopsy for a definitive diagnosis. Therefore, the great majority of cases were referred to us because the family wanted to know the precise etiology of a case of dementia. The significant improvement in the clinical diagnosis of AD is a recent phenomenon. Due to the publicity and the advances in communication of scientific investigations, most physicians are more likely to consider AD as the main cause of dementia. The current risk of overdiagnosing AD reminds one of what occurred during the 1960s with the diagnosis of "atherosclerotic dementia."6 The high sensitivity and low specificity for AD shown in our study may reflect that possibility. Because of the varying criteria for "other dementias" in many publications, we chose to analyze the accuracy of clinical diagnosis in terms of the diagnosis of AD alone or AD plus other neuropathologic findings. Several retrospective studies have attempted to point out reliable clinical and pathologic features for diagnosing the dementias, especially AD. The study of Tomlinson et al6 is not included in table 4 because there was no attempt to validate the clinical diagnosis with pathologic findings. The reports surveyed vary considerably in size and methodology. Sample size, for example, ranges from 26 subjects9 to 776 subjects.7 Some studies base the diagnosis on limited clinical information,7'9'14'15 others use widely accepted diagnostic criteria such as those specified in DSM III,13 and one group uses a standardized clinical assessment of patients enrolled in a longitudinal study.12 The reported accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of AD ranges from 43%7 to 87%.15 Recent prospective studies that adhere to strict clinical criteria,10'11'17 those in DSM III8 or those proposed by McKhann et al,16 indicate improved accuracy of clinical diagnosis of the most common causes of dementia, especially AD. In sample sizes ranging from 11 subjects16 to 58 subjects,l0 the accuracy of clinical diagnosis is reported as ranging from 71%10 to 100%16'17' Only two series, both based on small samples, report a 100% accuracy. We consider it unlikely that such accuracy could be confirmed in large series because of some inevitable imprecision in clinical diagnoses and the variability of clinical pictures. Furthermore, although researchers generally agree on the application of uniform criteria in clinical diagnosis of dementia, opinions still differ about specific diagnostic criteria, as well as about the pathologic characterization of dementia. Except for those small series, the results summarized in table 4(7-15) is are remarkably consistent with ours. In table 3, although there was no statistical difference (p > 0.05) in diagnostic agreement across patient groups, there is a trend toward a lower percentage of diagnostic errors for the patients who had been followed most intensely (16% in group 1 compared with 21% in groups 2 and 3). The difference is not great, and it is, in fact, surprising to find out that in the patients about whom relatively little was known (group 3) the percentage of diagnostic error was the same as among patients seen by neurologists and for whom much more data were available (group 2). These paradoxical findings probably indicate that both clinicians learned to extract essential diagnostic criteria2 in spite of the variations in the amount of information available for consideration. It may well be that clinical, radiographic, and laboratory assessment of patients with dementia is burdened with information that is excessive and unessential for purely diagnostic purposes. Acknowledgments We thank Dr. A. Julio Martinez and Dr. Gutti Rao from the Division of Neuropathology for autopsy data. Mrs. Margaret Forbes, Ms. Annette Grechen, and Mrs. Paula Gent helped in the preparation of the manuscript. References 1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Organic Dementia Disorders, 3rd ed. Washington DC, APA, 1983:101-161. 2. McKhann G, Drachman D, Folstein M, Katzman R, Price D, Stadlan E. Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA work group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer's Dis-ease. Neurology 1984;34:939-944. 3. Khachaturian Z. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Arch Neurol 1985;42:1097-1105. 4. Cummings J, Benson F. Dementia: a clinical approach, 1st ed. Boston: Butterworths, 1983. 5. Rosen WG, Terry R, Fuld P, Katzman R, Peck A. Pathological verification of ischemic score in differentiation of dementias. Ann Neurol 1980;7:486-488. 6. Tomlinson BE, Blessed G, Roth M. Observations on the brains of demented old people. J Neurol Sci 1970;11.205-242. 7. Todorov A, Go R, Constantinidis J, Elston R. Specificity of the clinical diagnosis of dementia. J Neurol Sci 1975;26:81-98. 8. Sulkava R, Haltia M, Paetau A, Wikstrom J, Palo J. Accuracy of clinical diagnosis in primary degenerative dementia: correlation with neuropathological findings. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1983;46:9-13. 9. Perl D, Pendlebury W, Bird E. Detailed neuropathologic evalua-tion of banked brain specimens submitted with clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. In: Wirtman R, Corkin S, Growdon J, eds. Alzheimer's disease: advances in basic research and therapies. Proceedings of the Fourth Meeting of International Study Group on the Treatment of Memory Disorders Associated with Aging. Zurich, January 1984. Cambridge, MA: CBSM, 1984:463. Molsa PK, Paljarvi L, Rinne JO, Rinne UK, Sako E. Validity of clinical diagnosis in dementia: a prospective clinicopathological study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1985;48:1085-1090. 11. Neary D, Snowden JS, Bowen D, et al. Neuropsychological syn-dromes in presenile dementia due to cerebral atrophy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1986;49:163-174. 12. Wade J, Mirsen T, Hachinski V, Fismm~ M, Lau C, Merskey H. The clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. Arch Neurol 1987;44:24-29. 13. Alafuzoff I, Igbal K, Friden H, Adolfsson R, Winblad B. Histopathological criteria for progressive dementia disorders: clinicalpathological correlation and classification by multivariate data analysis. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 1987,74:209-225. 14. Kokmen E, Offord K, Okazaki H. A clinical and autopsy study of dementia in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1980-1981. Neurology 1987;37:426-430. 15. Joachim CL, Morris JH, Selkoe D. Clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease: autopsy neuropathological results in 150 cases. Ann Neurol 1988;24:50-56. 16. Martin EM, Wilson RS, Penn RD, Fox JH, Clasen RA, Savoy SM. Cortical biopsy results in Alzheimer's disease: correlation with cognitive deficits. Neurology 1987;37:1201-1204. 17. Morris JC, Berg L, Fulling K, Torack RM, McKeel DW. Validation of clinical diagnostic criteria in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Ann Neurol 1987;22:122. 18. Moossy J, Martinaz J, Hanin I, Rao G, Yonas H, Boiler F. Thalamic and subcortical gliosis with dementia. Arch Neurol 1987;44:510-513. 19. Huff J, Becker J, Belle S, Nebes R, Holland A, Boller F. Cognitive deficits and clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Neurology 1987;37:1119-1124. 20. Huff J, Boiler F, Lucchelli F, Querriera R, Beyer J, Belle S. The neurological examination in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease. Arch Neurol 1987;44:929-932. 21. Moossy J, Zubenko G, Martinez AJ, Rao G. Bilateral symmetry of morphologic lesions in Alzheimer's disease. Arch Neurol 1988;45:251-254. 22. Heilig CW, Knopman DS, Mastri AR, Frey W II. Dementia without Alzheimer pathology. Neurology 1985;35:762-765. From the Departments of Neurology (Drs. Boller, Lopez, and Moossy), Psychiatry (Dr. Boller), Pittsburgh (University Drive) Veterans Administration Medical Center (Dr. Boller), Department of Pathology (Division of Neuropathology) (Dr. Moossy), and the Pittsburgh Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Drs. Boller, Lopez, and Moossy), University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA. Supported in part by NIH Grants nos. AG05133 and AG03705, NIMH Grant no. MH30915, by funds from the Veterans Admin., and by the Pathology Education and Research Foundation (PERF) of the Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh. Presented in part at the fortieth annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Cincinnati. OH, April 1988. Received April 7, 1988. Accepted for publication in final form July 20, 1988. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Boller, Department of Neurology, 322 Scaife Hall, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA 15261. January 1989 NEUROLOGY 39 79 From: TSS (216-119-130-151.ipset10.wt.net) Subject: Evaluation of Cerebral Biopsies for the Diagnosis of Dementia Date: May 8, 2001 at 6:27 pm PST Subject: Evaluation of Cerebral Biopsies for the Diagnosis of Dementia Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 21:09:43 -0700 From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy #### Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy #### Evaluation of Cerebral Biopsies for the Diagnosis of Dementia Christine M. Hulette, MD; Nancy L. Earl, Md; Barbara J. Crain, MD, Phd · To identify those patients most likely to benefit from a cerebral biopsy to diagnose dementia, we reviewed a series of 14 unselected biopsies performed during a 9-year period (1980 through 1989) at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Pathognomonic features allowed a definitive diagnosis in seven specimens. Nondiagnostic abnormalities but not diagnostic neuropathologic changes were seen in five additional specimens, and two specimens were normal. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was the most frequent diagnosis. One patient each was diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease, diffuse Lewy body disease, adult-onset Niemann-Pick disease, and anaplastic astrocytoma. We conclude that a substantial proportion of patients presenting clinically with atypical dementia are likely to receive a definitive diagnosis from a cerebral biopsy. However, in those with coexisting hemiparesis, chorea, athetosis, or lower motor neuron signs, cerebral biopsies are less likely to be diagnostic. (Arch Neurol. 1992;49:28-31) "Dementia" is a syndrome characterized by global deterioration of cognitive abilities and is the general term used to describe the symptom complex of intellectual deterioration in the adult. It is associated with multiple causes, although Alzheimer's disease (AD) alone accountsfor approximately 60% of cases.1-3 Interest in the accuracy of the diagnosis of dementia is a relatively recent phenomenon, reflecting both an increase in physicians' awareness of multiple specific causes of dementia and a marked increase in both the incidence and prevalence of dementia associated with the increase in the elderly population.4' The clinical evaluation remains the key to the differential diagnosis, and in most cases dementia can be diagnosed accurately by clinical criteria. However, the definitive diagnoses of AD.1'5'7 Pick's disease,8'10 Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD),11-16 Binswanger's disease,17'18' and diffuse Lewy body disease19-22 still require histologic examination of the cortex to identify characteristic structural changes. Brain tissue is almost invariably obtained at autopsy, and the vast majority of pathologic diagnoses are thus made post mortem. Alternatively, an antemortem histologic diagnosis can be provided to the patient and his or her family if a cerebral biopsy is performed while the patient is still alive. Because brain biopsies for dementia are not routinely performed, we sought to define the spectrum of pathologic changes seen in a retrospective unselected series of adult patients undergoing cerebral biopsy for the diagnosis of atypical dementing illnesses and to determine the patient selection criteria most likely to result in a definitive diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cerebral biopsies performed solely for the diagnosis of dementia in adult patients were identified by a manual search of the patient files of the Division of Neuropathology, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, and by a computerized search of discharge diagnoses of patients undergoing brain biopsies. Fourteen cases were identified from the period 1980 to 1989. Patients undergoing biopsies for suspected tumor, inflammation, or demyelinating disease were excluded. A clinical history of dementia was an absolute requirement for inclusion in the study. Diagnosis was based on Dignostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, and on National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (ADRDA) criteria for probable AD.23 The published recommendations for handling tissue from patients with suspected CJD were followed in every case.24-26 Briefly, tissue was transported in double containers clearly marked "Infectious Disease Precations." Double gloves, aprons, and goggles were used at all times. Tissue was fixed in saturated phenol in 3.7% phosphate-buffered formaldehyde for 48 hours25 and subsequently hand processed for paraffin embedding. At least 1 cm(to 3 power) of tissue was available for examination from each patient, except for patient 7, who underwent bilateral temporal lobe needle biopsies. Patient 14 underwent biopsy of both frontal and temporal lobes. One paraffin block was prepared for each biopsy specimen, and sections were routinely stained with hematoxylin-eosin, luxol fast blue, Congo red, alcian blue, periodic acidSchiff, and modified King's silver stain27 in every ease, except for case 7, in which the diagnosis was made by frozen section. Portions of both gray and white matter were primarily fixed in glutaraldehyde and embedded in epoxy resin (Epon). Tissue was examined by electron microscopy if abnormalities, such as neuronal storage or other inclusions, were seen in routine paraffin sections. Khachaturian's5 National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorderers and Stroke/ADRDA criteria for quantitation of senile plaques and the diagnosis of AD were used in all cases after 1985. At the time of our, study, these criteria were also applied retrospectively to cases accessioned before 1985. No attempt was made to grade the severityof other abnormalities (eg, gliosis and spongiform change), and the original pathologic diagnoses were not revised. RESULTS The clinical presentations, biopsy findings, and follow-up data, including postoperative complications, are summarized in Table 1 for all 14 patients. Their biopsy findings are summarized in Table 2. The ages of this unselected group of 14 patients who underwent cerebral biopsies for dementia ranged from 32 to 78 years (mean, 51.6 years). There were seven men and seven women. Duration of symptoms ranged from 1 month to 6 years (mean, 2.3 years). No differences were noted between the group with diagnostic biopsies (cases 1 through 7) and the group with nondiagnostic biopsies (cases 8 through 14) with regard to age at the time of biopsy or duration of symptoms. However, five of seven patients in the nondiagnostic group had hemiparesis, chorea, athetosis, or lower motor neuron signs. None of these findings was present in the patients with diagnostic biopsies. Visual disturbances, abnormal eye movements, and ataxia were present in four of seven cases with diagnostic biopsies but were absent in the group with nondiagnostic biopsies. In this series of 14 patients, two experienced postoperative complications, one of which was severe. Patient 2 developed an intraparenchymal parietal cortex hemorrhage and was mute after biopsy. Patient 9 developed a subdural hygroma that was treated uneventfully. Eight patients died 1 month to 9 years after biopsy. An autopsy was performed in five of these eight patients. One of these patients (patient 4) had a firm diagnosis of presenile AD on biopsy, which was confirmed at autopsy. Patient 3 had a biopsy diagnosis of CJD, which was also confirmed at autopsy. Two patients with only white-matter gliosis diagnosed at biopsy had autopsy diagnoses of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with dementia (patient 8) and CJD (patient 9). One patient in whom a biopsy specimen appeared to be normal had Huntington disease identified at autopsy (patient 14). At the time of this writing, four patients are still alive, two are in clinically stable condition 1 to 2 years after biopsy, and two are severely demented 2 to 3 years after biopsy. Two patients (one with a definite and one with a possible diagnosis of CJD) have been unavailable for follow-up. COMMENT Our study of patients presenting with atypical dementia reaffirms the diagnostic utility of cerebral biopsy. In selected cases, cerebral biopsy results in a high yield of definitive diagnostic information. A wide variety of disorders may be encountered, including CJD, AD, diffuse Lewy body disease, and storage disorders, such as Niemann-Pick disease.28-30 The diagnosis of Niemann-Pick disease type C was confirmed by assay of cholesterol esterification in cultured fibroblasts31'32' with markedly abnormal results in one patient, who was described in detail elsewhere.33 One example of an unsuspected anaplastic astrocytoma (case 7) was also encountered. This case was unusual in light of currently used sensitive imaging techniques. This patient may have been suffering from gliomatosis cerebri. Table 1.--Summary of Clinical Presentation and Course* Case/Age,y/Sex Duration of Symptoms, y Clincial Findings Biopsy Follow-up ========== 1/60/F 0.1 Dementia, left-sided homonymous hemianopia, myoclonus, EEG showing bilateral synchronous discharges CJD Unavailable ========== 2/57/M 0.4 Dementia, aphasia, myoclonus; visual disturbance; facial asymmetry, abnormal EEG CJD Postoperative intraparenchymal hemorrhage, mute dead at 58 y, no autopsy ========== 3/59/M 2 Dementia, apraxia, visual disturbance, bradykinesia, EEG showing periodic sharp waves CJD Dead at 61 y, autopsy showed CJD ========= 4/32/M 1 Dementia, myclonus, ataxia, family history of early-onset dementia AD Dead at 40 y, autopsy showed AD ========= 5/78/M 6 Dementia, paranoia, agitation, rigidity Diffuse Lewy body disease Dead at 78 y, no autopsy ========= 6/37/F 6 Dementia, dysarthria, abnormal eye movements, ataxia Neuronal storage disorder, adultonset N-P type II Stable at 39 y ========= 7/58/F 0.3 Dementia, amnesia, depression, partial complex seizures Anaplastic astrocytoma Dead at 58 y, no autopsy ========== 8/37/M 2 Dementia, dysarthria, upper-extremity atrophy and fasciculations Gliosis Dead at 38 y, auotpsy showed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with white-matter gliosis ========= 9/45/F 2 Dementia, aphasia, right-sided hemiparesis, rigidity, athetosis Gliosis Postoperative subdural hygroma, dead at 50 y, autopsy showed focal CJD ========= 10/56/F 2 Dementia, myoclonus, cerebellar dysaarthria, EEG showing biphasic periodic sharp waves Consistent with CJD Unavailable ========== 11/60/F 2 Dementia, dysarthria, right-sided hemiparesis, hypertension, magnetic resonance image showing small vessel disease Plaques, gliosis stable at 61 y ========= 12/52/F 2 Dementia, aphasia, right-sided hemiparesis Gliosis Bedridden, severely demented at 54 y ========= 13/40/M 0.5 Dementia, mild bifacial weakness, concrete thinking, altered speech Normal Stable at 41 y ========= 14/52/M 6 Dementia, choreoathetosis, family history of senile dementia, computed tomographic scan showing normal caudate Normal Dead at 61y, autopsy showed Huntington's disease, grade II/IV ========== * EEG indicates electroencephalogram; CJD, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; AD, Alzheimer's disease; and N-P, Niemann-Pick disease. Table 2.--Pathologic Findings at Biopsy * Case Site of Biopsy Type of Biopsy Tissue Examined Spongiform Change Neuritic Plaques per X 10 Field Tangles White Matter Gliosis Other 1 R temporal Open 1 cm3 + 0 0 0 0 ===== 2 L temporal Open 1 cm3 + 0 0 0 0 ===== 3 R temporal Open 1 cm3 + 0 0 0 0 ===== 4 R frontal Open 1 cm3 0 >100 + + Amyloid angiopathy ===== 5 R temporal Open 1 cm3 0 9 0 0 Lewy bodies ===== 6 R temporal Open 1 cm3 0 0 0 0 Neuronal storage ===== 7 R temporal/L temporal Needle/needle 1 X 0.3 X 0.3 cm / 1 X 0.3 X 0.1 cm 0/0 0/0 0/0 +/0 0/anaplastic astrocytoma ===== 8 R frontal Open 1 cm3 o o o + 0 ===== 9 L parietal Open 1 cm3 0 0 ± + 0 ===== 10 R temporal Open 1 cm3 ± 0 0 0 0 ===== 11 L temporal Open 1 cm3 0 23 0 + 0 ===== 12 L temporal Open 1 cm3 0 0 0 + 0 ===== 13 r frontal Open 1 cm3 0 0 0 0 0 ===== 14 L temporal/L frontal Open/open 1 cm3/ 1 cm3 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 ===== * Plus sign indicates present; zero, absent; and plus/minus sign, questionably present Positron emission tomography showed multiple areas of increased uptake, even though the magnetic resonance image was nondiagnostic and showed only subtle increased signal intensity on review. Bilateral temporal lobe needle biopsies yielded abnormal findings. Biopsy of the right side showed only reactive gliosis, which may have been adjacent to tumor. Biopsy of the left side, performed 3 days later, was diagnostic for anaplastic astrocytoma. Unfortunately, permission for an autopsy was refused, and complete evaluation of the underlying pathologic process thus must remain speculative. The high incidence of definite and probable CJD in our series indicates that it is imperative that appropriate precautions are taken to prevent the transmission 0f disease to health care workers when biopsy tissue from patients with dementia is handled.24-26 At our institution, cerebral biopsy for the diagnosis of dementia is reserved for patients with an unusual clinical course or symptoms that cannot be diagnosed with sufficient certainty by other means. In most instances, cerebral biopsy is unnecessary and is clearly not a procedure to be proposed for routine diagnostic evaluation. In all cases, extensive clinical, metabolic, neuropsychological and radiologic evaluations must be performed before cerebral biopsy is considered. In addition, preoperative consultations among neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, and neuropathologists are necessary to ascertain the optimal biopsy site given the clinical data to ensure that maximal infornmtion is derived from the biopsy tissue. An optimal biopsy specimen is one that is taken from an affected area, handled to eliminate artifact, and large enough to include both gray and white matter.34 Open biopsy is generally preferred because it is performed under direct visualization and does not distort the architecture of the cerebral cortex. This method also provides sufficient tissue (approximately 1 cm3) to perform the required histologic procedures. Some physicians question the utility of diagnostic cerebral biopsies in dementia, stating that the procedure is unlikely to help the patient. While it is frequently true that the diagnoses made are untreatable with currently available therapeutic modalities, this is by no means universally true. Kaufman and Catalano35 noted that cerebral biopsy has revealed specific treatable illnesses, such as meningoencephalitis and multiple sclerosis. Our patient with anaplastic astrocytoma (patient 7) underwent radiation therapy, although she quickly died of her disease. Furthermore, when a definitive diagnosis can be made, even of incurable illnesses, such as CJD and AD, it is often possible to give an informed prognosis to the family and to help them plan for the future. The formulation of indications, for diagnostic cerebral biopsy raises difficult and complex issues. In 1986, Blemond36 addressed the clinical indications and the legal and moral aspects of cerebral biopsy, and his recommendations remain valid today: (1)The patient has a chronic progressixe cerehral disorder with documented dementia. (2) All other possible diagnostic methods have already been tried and have failed to provide sufficient diagnostic certainty. (3) The general condition of the patient permits cerebral biopsy. (4) Several specialists are in agreement regarding the indication. (5) Informed consent is obtained from relatives. (6) Modern diagnostic tools, such as immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy, are used to the fullest capacity in the examination of the material obtained. As with any intracranial surgical procedure involving the cerebral cortex, the risks of cerebral biopsy include anesthetic complications, hemorrhage, infections, and seizures. Guthkelch37 stated that the mortality associated with brain biopsy is not greater than that associated with general anesthesia. Cerebral biopsy, however can result in substantial morbidity. In our series, two of 14 patients suffered operative complications, intraparenchymal hemorrhage in one patient (patient 2) resulted in aphasia, while another patient (patient 10) developed a subdural hygroma, which was successfully treated, and recovered her baseline status. The current diagnostic accuracy of cerebral biopsy in the evaluation of dementia is unknown. Most of the larger general series 34'38-41 were reported before computed tomography was available and included many pediatric cases presenting with genetic neurodegenerative disorders that are now more readily diagnosed by other means. For adults with dementia, less information is available. Katzman et al4 recently reviewed the literature concerning the diagnostic accuracy of cerebral biopsy for dementia and concluded that 75% of these procedures result in diagnostic material. Patient selection is very important, and the literature is heavily weighted toward patients with a clinical diagnosis of AD.35'42-44 Our study thus provides documentation of the diagnostic accuracy of cerebral biopsies in unselected patients with atypical dementia. Autopsy follow-up is imperative in any dementia program,2 as a definitive diagnosis will not be made in a substantial proportion of patients. In our series, three patients died without a diagnosis, and autopsy was performed in all three. The diagnostic features were not present in the cortical area in which the biopsy was performed. In case 8, examination of the spinal cord revealed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Diffuse gliosis of the white matter was noted, which was the pathologic basis of the patient's dementia. In case 9. the spongiform change of CJD was focal, according to the pathologist's report; unfortunately, the tissue was not available for our review. In case 14, the diagnosis of Huntington's disease grade II/IV was made after close examination of the caudate nucleus. As one might predict, fewer autopsies were performed in the group with diagnostic biopsies; only two of five deaths in this category were followed by postmortem examinations. The diagnosis of AD was confirmed in case 4. In ease 3, the biopsy diagnosis of CJD was confirmed. In summary, a series of 14 unselected cerebral biopsies performed for the diagnosis of atypical dementia was reviewed to define the spectrum of pathologic changes seen and to estimate the likelihood of obtaining diagnostic tissue. Histologic diagnoses of CJD, AD, diffuse Lewy body disease, Niemann-Pick disease type C, or anaplastic astrocytoma were made in seven patients. The high incidence of CJD in this population (four of 14 cases) emphasizes the need to use appropriate precautions when tissue from patients with unusual dementing illnesses is handled. Consultation among neurologist, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, and neuropathologists is essential to select appropriate patients and to choose the proper biopsy site. Demented patients with coexisting hemiparesis, chorea, athetosis, or lower motor neuron signs are unlikely to benefit from cortical biopsy. This investigation was supported by Clinical Investigator Award PHS AG-00446 from the National Institute on Aging (Dr. Hulette) and by grant PHS SP50AG05128-03 from the Joseph and Kathleen Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Drs Earl and Crain). Dr Hulette is a College of American Pathologists Foundation Scholar, Northfield, Ill. The Authors thank Ms Bonnie Lynch and Ian Sutherland, PhD, for thier assistance. 1. Chui HC. Dementia: a review emphasizing clinicopathologic correlation and brain-behavior relationships. Arch NeuroI. 1989;46;806-814. 2. Jellinger K, Danielczyk W, Fischer P, Gabriel E. Clinicopathological analysis of dementia disorder's in the elderly, J Neurol Sci. 1990:95:239-258. 3. Katzman R. Alzheimer's disease. N Engl J Med. 1986;314:964-973. 4. Katzman R, Lasker B, Bernstein N. Advances in the diagnosis of dementia: accuracy of diagnosis and consequences of misdiagnosis of disorders causing dementia. In: Terry RD ed. Aging and the Brain. New York, NY: Raven Press; 1988: 17-62. 5. Khachaturian ZS. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Arch Neurol. 1985;42;1097-1105. 6. Koranyi E. The cortical dementias. Can J Psychiatry 1988;33;838-845. 7. Wilcock GK, Hope RA, Brooks DN, et al. Recommended minimum data to be collected in research studies on Alzheimer's disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1989;52;693-700 8. Esiri MM, Oppenheimer DR. Diagnostic neuropathology. Boston, Mass: Blackwell Scientific publications Inc; 1989;236-239. 9. Sim M, Bale RN. Familial pre-senile dementia: the relevance of a histological diagnosis of Pick's disease. Br J Psychiatry. 1973;122;671-673. 10. Tomlinson BE, Corsellis JAN. Aging and the dementias, In Adams JH, Cosellis JAN, Duchen LW, eds. Greensfield's Neuropathology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc; 1984:951-1025 11. F;endheim PE. The hunmn spongitbrm ence-phahq,athies. Ncl~rol Clim 19¥,1:2:281-29¥. 12. Brown P, Rodgers-Johnson P, Cathala L, Gibbs CJ, Gajdusek DC. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease of long duration; clinicopathologic characteristics, Transmissibility and differential diagnosis. Ann Neurol. 1984;16:295-304. 13. Davanipour Z, Alter M, Sobel E. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Neurol Clin. 1986:4:415-425. 14. Masters CL, Richardson EP: Subacute spongiform encephalopathy (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease): the nature and progression of spongiform changes. Brain 1978;101:333-344. 15. Neatherlin JS. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. J Neurosci Nurs. 1988;20:309-313. 16. Nochlin D, Sumi SM, Bird TD, et al. Familial dementia with Prp-positive amyloid plaques: a variant of Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome. Neurology. 1989;39;910-918 17. Fisher CM. Binswanger's encephalopathy: a review. J Neurol 1989;236;65-79 18. Roman GC. Senile dementia of the Bins-wanger type. JAMA. 1987125811782-1788. 19. Burkhardt CR, Tilley CM, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, de la Monte S, Norenberg MD, Sehneck SR. Diffuse Lewy hody disease and progressive dementia. Neurology. 1988;38:1520-1528. 20. Dickson DW, Davies P, Mayeux R, et al. Diffuse Lewy body disease: neuropathological and biochemical studies of six patients. Acta Neuropathol (Berl). 1987;75:8-15. 21. Gibb WRG. Neuropathelogy in movement disorders. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1989:supl:55-67. 22. Gibb WRG, Luthert PJ, Janota A. Lantos PL. Cortical Lewy body dementia: clinical features and classification. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1989;52;185-192. 23. MeKhann G. Drachman D, Folstein M, Katzman R, Price D, Stadlan EM. Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimers disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA work group. Neurology. 1984;34:939-944. 24. Brown P, Gibbs CJ Jr, Gajdusek DC, Cathala F, LaBauge R. Chemical disinfection of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease virus. N Engl J Med. 1982;306;1279-1282. 25. Brumbach RA. Routine use of phenolipid formalin in fixation of autopsy brain tissue reduce risk of inadvertent transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. N Engl J Med. 1988;319;654. 26. Rosenberg RN, White CL, Brown P, et al. Precautions in handling tissues, fluids and other contaminated materials from patients with documented or suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Ann Neurol. 1986;12:75-77. 27. Lloyd B, Brinn N, Burger PC. Silver-staining of senile plaques and neurofibrillary change in paraffin-embedded tissues, J Histotech. 1985;8: 155-156. 28. Brady RO. Sphingomyelin lipidosis: Niemann-Pick disease. In: Stanbury JB, Wyngaarden JB, Fredrickson DS, Goldstein JL, Brown MS, eds. The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill International Book Co; 1983:831-841. 29. Cogan DG, Chu FC, Reingold D, Barranger J. Ocular motor signs in some metabolic diseases. Arch Ophthalmol. 1981:99:1802-1808. 30. Lake BD. Lysosomal enzyme deficiencies. In: Adams JH, Corsellis JAN, Duchen LW. eds. Greenfield's Neuropathology. 4th ed. New York, NY:John Wiley & Sons Inc; 1984;491-572. 31. Pentchev PC. Comly ME, Kruth HS, et al. A defect in cholesterol esterification in Niemann-Pick disease (type C) patients. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1985;82;8247-8251. 32. Vanier MT, Wenger DA, Comly ME, Rousson R. Brady RO, Pentchev PG. Niemann-Pick disease group C: clinical variability and diagnosis based on defective cholesterol esterification. Clin Genet. 1988;33;331-348. 33. Hulette CM, Earl NL, Anthony DC, Crain BJ. Adult onset Niemann-Pick disease type C: a case presenting with dementia and absent organomegaly. Clin Neuropathol. In press. 31. Pentchev PC, Comly ME, Kruth HS, et al. A defect in cholesterol esterfication in Niemann-Pick disease (type C) patients. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1985;82;8247-8251 32. Vanier MT, Wenger Da, Comly ME, Rousson R, Brady Ro, Pentchev PG. Niemann-Pick disease group C: clinical variability and diagnosis based on defective cholesterol esterification. Clin Genet. 1988;33;331-348 33. Hulette CM, Earl NL, Anthony DC, Crain Bj. Adult onset Niemann-Pick disease type C; a case presenting with dementia and absen organomegaly. Cliln Neuropathol. In Press. 34. Groves R, Moller J. The value of the cerebral cortical biopsy. Acta Neurol Scand. 1966;42;477-482 35. Kaufman HH. Catalano LW. DiaGnostic brain biopsy: a series of 50 cases and a review. NeUROSURGERY. 1979:4:129-136. 36. Blemond A. Indications, legal and moral aspects of cerebral biopsies, In: Proceedings of Fifth International Congress of Neuropathology, Zurich, 1965, Princeton, NJ: Excerpta Medica; 1966:372-375. 37. Guthkelch AN. Brain biopsy in infancy and childhood. Dev Med Child Neurol, 1968;10;107-109. 38. Blackwood W, Cumings JN. The combined histological and chemical aspects of cerebral biopsies. In: Proceeedings of Fifth International Congress of Neuropathology, Zurich, 1965. Princeton, NJ: Excerpta Medica; 1966:364-371. 39. Green MA, Stevenson LD, Fonseca JE, Wortis SB. Cerebral biopsy in patients with presenile dementia. Dis Nerv Syst. 1952;13:303-307. 40. Sim M, Turner E, Smith WT. Cerebral biopsy in the investigation of presenile dementia, I: clinical aspects, Br J Psychiatry. 1966;112:119-125. 41. Turner E, Sim M. Cerebral biopsy in the investigation of presenile dementia, II: pathological aspects, Br J Phychiatry. 1966;112:127-133. 42. Bowen DM, Benton JS, Spillane JA. Smith CCT, Allen SJ. Choline acetyltransferase activity and histopathology of frontal neocortex from biopsies of demented patients. J Neurol Sci. 1982;57:191-202. 43. Neary D, Snowden JS, Bowen DM, et al. Cerebral biopsy in the investigation of presenile dementia due to cerebral atrophy. J Neurol Neurosury Psychiatry. 1986;49:157-162. 44. Neary D, Snowden JS, Mann DMA, et al. Alzheimer's disease: a corelative study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1986;49:229-237. Cerebral Biopsies in Dementia-- Hulette et al 31 Accepted for publication July 11, 1991. From the Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology (Drs Hulette and Crain), the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (Dr Earl), and the Department of Neurobiology (Dr. Crain), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Arch Neurol--Vol 49, January 1992 TSS/5/7/01 Occasional PrP plaques are seen in cases of Alzheimer's Disease snip... full text; http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/ws/s310.pdf http://www.bse.org.uk/files/ws/s310.pdf http://mailhost.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/warc/bse-l.html TRANSMISSION OF ALZHEIMER-TYPE PLAQUES TO PRIMATES http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...1/05004001.pdf 4.5 MILLION DEMENTED ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS, HOW MANY ARE CJD/TSEs ??? HOW CAN ONE-IN-A-MILLION BE ACCURATE WHEN CJD IS NOT REPORTABLE, AND WHEN THE ELDERLY DO NOT GET AUTOPSIED?????? TSS Last edited by Chemar; 02-11-2007 at 04:19 PM. Reason: moderator edit required |
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03-09-2007, 10:19 PM | #2 | ||
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Subject: Alzheimer-type neuropathology in a 28-year old patient with iatrogenic CJD after dural grafting
Date: March 9, 2007 at 9:15 am PST HUMAN-04 Alzheimer-type neuropathology in a 28-year old patient with iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after dural grafting M Preusser1, T Stroebel1, E Gelpi1, 2, M Eiler3, G Broessner4, E Schmutzhard4, H Budka1, 2 1 Institute of Neurology, Medical University Vienna, Austria; 2 Austrian Reference Centre for Human Prion Diseases (OERPE), General Hospital Vienna, Austria; 3 Department of Neurology, LKH Rankweil, Austria; 4 Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria We report the autopsy case of a 28-year old male patient who had received a cadaverous dura mater graft after a traumatic open skull fracture with tearing of dura at the age of 5 years. A clinical suspicion of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) was confirmed by a brain biopsy 5 months prior to death and by autopsy, thus warranting the diagnosis of iatrogenic CJD (iCJD) according to WHO criteria. Immunohistochemistry showed widespread cortical depositions of diseaseassociated prion protein (PrPsc) in a synaptic pattern and western blot analysis identified PrPsc of type 2A according to Parchi et al. Surprisingly, we found Alzheimer-type senile plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy in widespread areas of the brain. Plaque-type and vascular amyloid was immunohistochemically identified as deposits of beta-A4 peptide. CERAD criteria for diagnosis of definite Alzheimer´s disease (AD) were met in the absence of neurofibrillar tangles or alpha-synuclein immunoreactive inclusions. There was no family history of AD, CJD, or any other neurological disease, and genetic analysis showed no disease-specific mutations of the prion protein, presenilin 1 and 2, or amyloid precursor protein genes. This case represents 1. the iCJD case with the longest incubation time after dural grafting reported so far, 2. the youngest documented patient with concomitant CJD and Alzheimer-type neuropathology to date, 3. the first description of Alzheimer type-changes in iCJD, and 4. the second case of iCJD in Austria. Despite the young patient age, the Alzheimer-type changes may be an incidental finding, possibly related to the childhood trauma. 249 of 411 pages...tss http://www.tse-forum.de/tse_forum/de...FINAL_nov2.pdf TSS |
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03-23-2007, 10:39 AM | #3 | ||
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Subject: Every 72 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer's
Date: March 20, 2007 at 5:35 pm PST Alzheimer's Disease Prevalence Rates Rise to More than Five Million in the United States Someone develops Alzheimer's every 72 seconds, according to new Alzheimer's Association report The Alzheimer's Association today reports that in 2007 there are now more than 5 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer's disease. This number includes 4.9 million people over the age of 65 and between 200,000 and 500,000 people under age 65 with early onset Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. This is a 10 percent increase from the previous prevalence nationwide estimate of 4.5 million. The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's is increasing age, and with 78 million baby boomers beginning to turn 60 last year, it is estimated that someone in America develops Alzheimer's every 72 seconds; by mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer's every 33 seconds. These new estimates, as well as other data concerning the disease and its effects, are issued today as hundreds of advocates from across the country gather in the nation's capitol for the Alzheimer's Association's annual Public Policy Forum. The report titled, 2007 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, is being released at a hearing today chaired by Senator Barbara Mikulski. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Christopher Bond and Representatives Edward Markey and Christopher Smith have introduced bipartisan legislation to address problems identified in the Association's report. The Association's report details the escalation of Alzheimer's disease which now is the seventh leading cause of death in the country and the fifth leading cause of death for those over age 65. It also offers numerous statistics that convey the burden that Alzheimer's imposes on individuals, families, state and federal governments, businesses, and the nation's health care system. For example: Without a cure or effective treatments to delay the onset or progression of the Alzheimer's, the prevalence could soar to 7.7 million people with the disease by 2030, which is more than the population of 140 of the 236 United Nations countries. By mid-century, the number of people with Alzheimer's is expected to grow to as many as 16 million, more than the current total population of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston combined. As the prevalence impact of Alzheimer's grows, so does the cost to the nation. The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer's and other dementias amount to more than $148 billion annually, which is more than the annual sales of any retailer in the world excluding Wal-Mart. "Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures clearly shows the tremendous impact this disease is having on the nation; and with the projected growth of the disease, the collective impact on individuals, families, Medicare, Medicaid, and businesses will be even greater," says Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "However there is hope. There are currently nine drugs in Phase III clinical trials for Alzheimer's several of which show great promise to slow or stop the progression of the disease. This, combined with advancements in diagnostic tools, has the potential to change the landscape of Alzheimer's." According to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2000-2004 death rates have declined for most major diseases -- heart disease (-8 percent), breast cancer (-2.6 percent), prostate cancer (-6.3 percent) and stroke (-10.4 percent), while Alzheimer's disease deaths continue to trend upward, increasing 33 percent during that period. "We must make the fight against Alzheimer's a national priority before it's too late. The absence of effective disease modifying drugs, coupled with an aging population, makes Alzheimer's the health care crisis of the 21st century," Johns said. Medicare currently spends nearly three times as much for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias than for the average Medicare beneficiary. Medicare costs are projected to double from $91 billion in 2005 to more than $189 billion by 2015, more than the current gross national product of 86 percent of the world's countries. In 2005, state and federal Medicaid spending for nursing home and home care for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias was estimated at $21 billion; that number is projected to increase to $27 billion by 2015. The new report also highlights the impact that Alzheimer's has on states with more than 6 in 10 (62%) having double digit growth in prevalence by the end of the decade. In addition, Alaska (+47%), Colorado (+47%), Utah (+45%), Wyoming (+43%), Nevada (+38%), Idaho (+37%), Oregon (+33%), and Washington (+33%) will experience increases ranging from one-third to one-half. The states with the largest numbers of deaths due to Alzheimer's disease in 2003 were (1) California, (2) Florida, (3) Texas, (4) Pennsylvania, and (5) Ohio. The Alzheimer's Association is the first and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer's. For more than 25 years, the Association has provided reliable information and care consultation; created services for families; increased funding for dementia research; and influenced public policy changes. Contact: Call our media line at 312.335.4078 Download Report: 2007 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures (28 pages) Quote Sheet (2 pages) http://www.alz.org/national/document...quotesheet.pdf Fact sheet (2 pages) http://www.alz.org/national/document...Ffactsheet.pdf http://www.alz.org/news_and_events_rates_rise.asp Every 72 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer's. http://www.alz.org/national/document...AndFigures.pdf More Evidence Mad Cow Same As CJD And Alzheimer's 1-24-3 IN STRICT CONFIDENCE TRANSMISSION OF ALZHEIMER-TYPE PLAQUES TO PRIMATES http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...1/05004001.pdf full text ; http://www.rense.com/general34/cjmd.htm Proof Mad Cow Is The Same As Alzheimer's And CJD How Many Of Them Are Really Mad Cow/vCJD/TSEs ??? How Can Government Claims Of Just 'One In A Million' Be Accurate When CJD Is Not A Reportable Disease? And When The Elderly Do Not Get Routinely Autopsied?? By Terry Singletary, Sr 12-27-03 Regarding Alzheimer's disease (note the substantial increase on a yearly basis) http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...7/08014001.pdf snip... The pathogenesis of these diseases was compared to Alzheimer's disease at a molecular level... snip... http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...3/12003001.pdf And NONE of this is relevant to BSE? There is also the matter whether the spectrum of ''prion disease'' is wider than that recognized at present. http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...7/06005001.pdf Human BSE snip... These are not relevant to any possible human hazard from BSE nor to the much more common dementia, Alzheimers. snip... http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...7/09001001.pdf ================================================== === From: TSS Subject: CJD or Alzheimer's, THE PA STUDY...full text Date: May 7, 2001 at 10:24 am PST Diagnosis of dementia: Clinicopathologic correlations Francois Boller, MD, PhD; Oscar L. Lopez, MD; and John Moossy, MD Article abstract--Based on 54 demented patients consecutively autopsied at the University of Pittsburgh, we studied the accuracy of clinicians in predicting the pathologic diagnosis. Thirty-nine patients (72.2%) had Alzheimer's disease, while 15 (27.7%) had other CNS diseases (four multi-infarct dementia; three Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; two thalamic and subcortical gliosis; three Parkinson's disease; one progressive supranuclear palsy; one Huntington's disease; and one unclassified). Two neurologists independently reviewed the clinical records of each patient without knowledge of the patient's identity or clinical or pathologic diagnoses; each clinician reached a clinical diagnosis based on criteria derived from those of the NINCDS/ADRDA. In 34 (63 %) cases both clinicians were correct, in nine (17%) one was correct, and in 11 (20%) neither was correct. These results show that in patients with a clinical diagnosis of dementia, the etiology cannot be accurately predicted during life. NEUROLOGY 1989;39:76-79 snip... Subject: Re: Hello Dr. Manuelidis Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 17:47:09 -0500 From: laura manuelidis Reply-To: laura.manuelidis@yale.edu Organization: Yale Medical School To: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." References: <39B5561A.87B84A28@wt.net> <39B64574.A4835745@yale.edu> <39B680D8.3872535B@wt.net> <39B66EF1.4CE25685@yale.edu> <39BBB812.425109F@wt.net> <39BE84CB.D7C0C16B@yale.edu> <3A3BA197.7F60D376@wt.net> Dear Terry, One of our papers (in Alzheimer's Disease Related Disord. 3:100-109, 1989) in text cites 6 of 46 (13%) of clinical AD as CJD. There may be a later paper from another lab showing the same higher than expected incidence but I can't put my hands on it right now. We also have a lot of papers from 1985 on stating that there are likely many silent (non-clinical) CJD infections, i.e. much greater than the "tip of the iceberg" of long standing end-stage cases with clinical symptoms. Hope this helps. best wishes for the new year laura manuelidis "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." wrote: Hello again Dr. Manuelidis, could you please help me locate the 2 studies that were done on CJD where it showed that up to 13% of the people diagnosed as having Alzheimer's actually had CJD. trying to find reference... thank you, > Terry S. Singeltary Sr. 4.5 MILLION DEMENTED ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS, HOW MANY ARE CJD/TSEs ??? HOW CAN ONE-IN-A-MILLION BE ACCURATE WHEN CJD IS NOT REPORTABLE, AND WHEN THE ELDERLY DO NOT GET AUTOPSIED?????? TSS http://www.rense.com/general46/proofa.html Alzheimer's and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies snip... Subject: Alzheimer-type neuropathology in a 28-year old patient with iatrogenic CJD after dural grafting Date: March 9, 2007 at 9:15 am PST HUMAN-04 Alzheimer-type neuropathology in a 28-year old patient with iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after dural grafting M Preusser1, T Stroebel1, E Gelpi1, 2, M Eiler3, G Broessner4, E Schmutzhard4, H Budka1, 2 1 Institute of Neurology, Medical University Vienna, Austria; 2 Austrian Reference Centre for Human Prion Diseases (OERPE), General Hospital Vienna, Austria; 3 Department of Neurology, LKH Rankweil, Austria; 4 Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria We report the autopsy case of a 28-year old male patient who had received a cadaverous dura mater graft after a traumatic open skull fracture with tearing of dura at the age of 5 years. A clinical suspicion of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) was confirmed by a brain biopsy 5 months prior to death and by autopsy, thus warranting the diagnosis of iatrogenic CJD (iCJD) according to WHO criteria. Immunohistochemistry showed widespread cortical depositions of diseaseassociated prion protein (PrPsc) in a synaptic pattern and western blot analysis identified PrPsc of type 2A according to Parchi et al. Surprisingly, we found Alzheimer-type senile plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy in widespread areas of the brain. Plaque-type and vascular amyloid was immunohistochemically identified as deposits of beta-A4 peptide. CERAD criteria for diagnosis of definite Alzheimer´s disease (AD) were met in the absence of neurofibrillar tangles or alpha-synuclein immunoreactive inclusions. There was no family history of AD, CJD, or any other neurological disease, and genetic analysis showed no disease-specific mutations of the prion protein, presenilin 1 and 2, or amyloid precursor protein genes. This case represents 1. the iCJD case with the longest incubation time after dural grafting reported so far, 2. the youngest documented patient with concomitant CJD and Alzheimer-type neuropathology to date, 3. the first description of Alzheimer type-changes in iCJD, and 4. the second case of iCJD in Austria. Despite the young patient age, the Alzheimer-type changes may be an incidental finding, possibly related to the childhood trauma. 249 of 411 pages...tss http://www.tse-forum.de/tse_forum/de...FINAL_nov2.pdf full text ; http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ad.php?p=78281 FELINE ALZHEIMER'S OR MAD CAT DISEASE I.E. FSE ??? http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa...-mg&T=0&P=8385 From: terry <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: FELINE ALZHEIMER'S OR MAD CAT DISEASE I.E. FSE ??? In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" I have 2 questions for you, terry singeltary. Do you agree with colm kelleher where he states there may be a relationship between vCJD and alzeheimer's in that alzheimers may be misdiagnosed. And is it true that BSE cannot be destroyed by heat or chemical so that any instrument that touches it must be thrown out. Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile. http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa...-mg&T=0&P=8525 Sender: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group <[log in to unmask]> From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: FELINE ALZHEIMER'S OR MAD CAT DISEASE I.E. FSE ??? Comments: To: [log in to unmask] Content-type: text/plain; charset=Windows-1252 i have written about this many times and spoke with colm on several occasions when he was writing his book..... > Do you agree with colm kelleher where he states there may be a relationship > between vCJD and alzeheimer's in that alzheimers may be misdiagnosed NOT JUST vCJD but all human TSE, especially sporadic CJD, there are studies showing ''CJD'' as being misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's (see below). AND personally i think there is a potential that Alzheimers may be low level TSE. may be something else too, i mean, just what is Alzheimer's??? Proof Mad Cow Is The Same As Alzheimer's And CJD ??? How Many Of Them Are Really Mad Cow/vCJD/TSEs ??? How Can Government Claims Of Just 'One In A Million' Be Accurate When CJD Is Not A Reportable Disease? And When The Elderly Do Not Get Routinely Autopsied?? By Terry Singletary, Sr 12-27-03 snip...end http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa...-mg&T=0&P=8673 TSS |
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04-11-2007, 12:10 PM | #4 | ||
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Here is some information relevant to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies - "A Case for the Role of Copper Deficiency in 'Mad-Cow' Disease and Human Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease"
http://www.copper.org/innovations/2001/12/mad-cow.html I think that another possible cause for Alzheimer's that needs further investigation is Lyme disease: "In 1995 Dr. Mattman obtained positive cultures for Bb from 43 of 47 persons with chronic illness. Only 1 of 23 control patients had a positive Bb culture. Dr. Mattman has subsequently recovered Bb spirochetes form 8 out of 8 cases of Parkinson’s Disease, 41 cases of multiple sclerosis, 21 cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and all tested cases of Alzheimer’s Disease." http://www.digitalnaturopath.com/cond/C351537.html This group found no association between Lyme and Alzheimer's: http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/research/t...antibiotic.htm This group did find an association between Lyme and Alzheimer's: http://www.canlyme.com/alzjournal6.html |
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04-11-2007, 05:55 PM | #5 | ||
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http://infoventures.com/emf/topics/bu42ni05.html
Damaging the blood brain barrier would allow pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and prions easier access to the brain. "The brain is protected by tight junctions between adjacent cells of capillary walls, the so-called blood-brain barrier, which, like a border patrol, lets nutrients pass through from the blood to the brain, but keeps toxic substances out. Since 1988, researchers in the laboratory of a Swedish neurosurgeon, Leif Salford, have been running variations on this simple experiment: they expose young laboratory rats to either a cell phone or other source of microwave radiation, and later they sacrifice the animals and look for albumin in their brain tissue. Albumin is a protein that is a normal component of blood but that does not normally cross the blood-brain barrier. The presence of albumin in brain tissue is always a sign that blood vessels have been damaged and that the brain has lost some of its protection. Here is what these researchers have found, consistently for 18 years: Microwave radiation, at doses equal to a cell phone’s emissions, causes albumin to be found in brain tissue. A one-time exposure to an ordinary cell phone for just two minutes causes albumin to leak into the brain. In one set of experiments, reducing the exposure level by a factor of 1,000 actually increased the damage to the blood-brain barrier, showing that this is not a dose-response effect and that reducing the power will not make wireless technology safer." http://www.mindfully.org/Technology/...ment1jan06.htm |
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04-30-2007, 11:58 AM | #6 | ||
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Press Release 07-048
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Type 2 Diabetes Similar at Molecular Level Protein analysis may offer new therapeutic route April 30, 2007 Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, the human version of mad cow disease, and other degenerative diseases are more closely related at the molecular level than scientists realized, a team reports this week in an advanced online publication of the journal Nature. While still preliminary, the research, could help scientists develop tools for diagnosing such diseases, and potentially for treating them through "structure-based drug design," said David Eisenberg, a UCLA chemist and molecular biologist who is part of the research team. The researchers studied the harmful rope-like structures known as amyloid fibrils--linked protein molecules that form in the brain. The fibrils contain a stack of water-tight "molecular zippers." "With each disease, a different protein transforms into amyloid fibrils, but all of these diseases are similar at the molecular level," Eisenberg said. If the molecular zipper is universal in amyloid fibrils, as Eisenberg believes, is it possible to pry open the zipper or prevent its formation? Eisenberg's research team used X-ray analysis and a sophisticated computer algorithm to study proteins known to be associated with human diseases. When the computer said a protein will form an amyloid fibril, it almost always did. And one team member is experimenting with various compounds to break up the fibrils. "Structural analysis of micro-crystals of proteins is an example of how basic research can have a profound impact on our understanding of health, biotechnology and other practical issues," said Parag Chitnis, program director in National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. NSF, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Institutes of Health supported the research. See the UCLA news release at http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/. -NSF- Media Contacts Cheryl Dybas, NSF (703) 292-7734 cdybas@nsf.gov Stuart Wolpert, UCLA (310) 206-0511 swolpert@support.ucla.edu http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.js...=NSF&from=news TSS ----- Original Message ----- From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <flounder9@VERIZON.NET> To: <BSE-L@aegee.org> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 8:48 PM Subject: TRANSMISSION OF B-amyloidosis TO PRIMATES strengthens the parallels between Alzheimer's disease and CJD - IN CONFIDENCE Subject: TRANSMISSION OF B-amyloidosis TO PRIMATES strengthens the parallels between Alzheimer's disease and CJD - IN CONFIDENCE Date: April 25, 2007 at 6:25 pm PST IN CONFIDENCE TRANSMISSION OF ALZHEIMER-TYPE PLAQUES TO PRIMATES H F BAKER, R M RIDLEY, L W DUCHEN, T J CROW, C J BRUTON As part of a larger series of experiments designed to assess the transmissibility of various neurodegenerative disease including the spongiform encephalopathies (eg Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and BSE we injected several marmosets (Callithrix Jacchus) intracerebrally with brain homogenate from : 1) a 56 year old patient with severe Alzheimer's disease - B - amyloid plaques and conogophilic angiopathy (CAA) and neurofibrillary tangles; and 2) a 62 year old patient with Gerstmann-Straussler disease, a spongiform encephalopathy with PrP Plaques and, in this case, B-amyloid plaques and CAA. These monkeys were killed more than 6 years after inoculation and their brains were found to contain moderate numbers of B-amyloid plaques and CAA but NO neurofibrillary tangles NO PrP. The brains of more than 12 monkeys killed at an older age did not contain these changes. B-amyloid was not found in the brains of monkeys injected with brain material which did not contain B-amyloid. These results suggest that B-amyloidosis is a transmissible process resembling the transmissibility of PrP amyloidosis in transmissible dementia and strengthens the parallels between Alzheimer's disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It should be stressed, however, that we are not claiming to have transmitted Alzheimer's disease because 1) the animals were behaving normally when killed and 2) no neurofibrillary tangles were seen. We have argued previously that transmission of spongiform encephalopathy, particularly from the genetic cases (GSS and some CJD), does not imply that the donor cases themselves acquired the disease by infection. We would apply the same arguments in this case, particularly in view of the genetic basis of some cases of Alzheimer's disease and the extensive epidemiological data which does not link Alzheimer's disease to infection. DISCLOSURE This work is currently under preparation for publication BUT IN VIEW OF PUBLIC CONCERN OVER THE TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES (eg BSE) AND THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THESE FINDINGS ARE NOT DISCUSSED OPENLY BEFORE FULL PUBLICATION. Furthermore, BEFORE DISCLOSURE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT INTERESTED PARTIES BE PROPERLY APPRAISED OF THE DATA AND THERE IMPLICATIONS. Previous attempts to transmit Alzheimer's disease to rodents and large primates have been unsuccessful. It is our belief that post-mortem tissue from these animals still exists and we are anxious that research workers (in the USA) SHOULD NOT RE-EXAMINE this material until our data are published. SAFETY At this point we would like to stress again the lack of evidence relating Alzheimer's disease to exposure to brain tissue through neurosurgery or occupation. NEVERTHELESS it is appropriate that proper bodies should consider whether the results of our experiments have any implications for human health. FURTHER EXPERIMENTS The interpretation we have made that B-amyloidosis as a self-peretuating process has important implications for understanding the process of neurodegeneration, which are best studied at the level of protein chemistry. However, we can see arguments for some transmission experiments including: 1) serial passage of B-amyloidosis in order to strengthen the evidence of transmissibility; 2) transmission from other cases of Alzheimer's disease in order to establish the generality of this effect; 3) transmission to primates which are allowed to run their full course, ie to see whether the full syndrome of Alzheimer's disease develops including neurofibrillary tangle formation, astrocytosis, neuronal loss and concomitant cognitive decline. (We are already expert in the neuropsychological assessment of marmosets). It should be remembered that, at the present time, only the amyloidosis have been found to be transmissible such that Alzheimer's disease PER SE has not been transmitted; 4) comparison of transmission from cases which contain only CAA and those which contain only B-amyloid plaques. These two forms of amyloid differ very slightly and it is not known whether this difference is preserved on transmission; 5) establishment of the time course of the development of B-amyloidosis. The present experiment suggests that the time course is somewhere between 1-5 years; 6) transmission using larger quantities of purified preparations of B-amyloid. This may reduce the transmission time considerably; 7) transmission using animals of different initial ages to investigate the relationship between transmission time and chronological age, eg transmission into mature animals may decrease transmission time through an interaction between the pathological process and senescence; 8) manipulation of transmission time by treatments which may speed up plaque formation, eg by increasing the production of amyloid precursor protein, or which may slow down plaque formation and protect from disease progression. The proposal is to inoculate about 25 marmosets in the first instance and to replace them in a 'rolling' experiment as they die or are killed according to the experimental design. The marmosets will be kept in the MRC Marmoset Colony in Cambridge. Additional facilities and personnel are not required over and above that awarded to Dr. Ridley in an MRC Programma Grant. A preliminary report of our findings will be presented by Professor L W Duchan at the January 1993 meeting of the British Neuropathological Society. http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/ TRANSMISSION OF ALZHEIMER-TYPE PLAQUES TO PRIMATES http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...1/05004001.pdf Regarding Alzheimer's disease (note the substantial increase on a yearly basis) http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...7/08014001.pdf snip... The pathogenesis of these diseases was compared to Alzheimer's disease at a molecular level... snip... http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...3/12003001.pdf And NONE of this is relevant to BSE? There is also the matter whether the spectrum of ''prion disease'' is wider than that recognized at present. http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/y...7/06005001.pdf TSS |
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09-27-2007, 11:42 AM | #7 | ||
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Greetings all,
i thought some of you might find interest in this meeting of the mad cow minds i.e. what i call the 'prion gods'. about 143 pages of the latest 'abstracts' TSE science and there is data on the AA amyloidosis, Alzheimer's.........tss PRION2007 ABSTRACTS SPORADIC CJD AND H BASE MAD COW ALABAMA AND TEXAS SEPTEMBER 2007 Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:31:55 -0500 I suggest that you all read the data out about h-BASE and sporadic CJD, GSS, blood, and some of the other abstracts from the PRION2007. ... http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa...&F=&S=&P=19744 USA BASE CASE, (ATYPICAL BSE), AND OR TSE (whatever they are calling it today), please note that both the ALABAMA COW, AND THE TEXAS COW, both were ''H-TYPE'', personal communication Detwiler et al Wednesday, August 22, 2007 11:52 PM. ...TSS http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa...mg&T=0&P=19779 see full text 143 pages ; http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion%2...0Abstracts.pdf Terry S. Singeltary Sr. Bacliff, Texas |
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10-08-2007, 04:42 PM | #8 | ||
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P01.34
Pathological Interaction Between Protein Misfolding Disorders: Prions and Alzheimer's Disease Morales, R; Estrada, L; Castilla, J; Soto, C University of Texas Medical Branch, Neurology, USA Protein Misfolding Disorders (PMD) include several diverse diseases, such Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies, Diabetes Type II and various systemic amyloidosis. The central event in these diseases is the accumulation of a misfolded, ß-sheet rich aggregated form of a naturally expressed protein. In vitro studies have shown that protein misfolding and aggregation follows a seedingnucleation mechanism similar to the process of crystallization. In this model, the limiting step is the formation of small oligomeric intermediates that act as seeds to catalyze the polymerization process. The seeding-nucleation model provides a rationale and plausible explanation for the infectious nature of prions. Infectivity lies on the capacity of preformed stable misfolded oligomeric proteins to act as a seed to catalyze the misfolding and aggregation process. The mechanism of misfolding and aggregation is similar in all PMD suggesting that misfolded aggregates have an inherent capability to be transmissible. Moreover, it has been shown that oligomeric seeds formed by one protein can accelerate the misfolding and aggregation of another protein, by a process termed cross-seeding. Our current study aims to assess the potential molecular cross-talk among PMD in vivo. For this purpose we inoculated with prions a transgenic mice model of Alzheimer's disease (tg2576) that develops typical amyloid plaques over time. 45, 303 and 365 days old transgenic and wild type mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with RML prions. We found significant diminution in prion incubation periods for tg2576 mice compared to age matched wild type controls. Moreover, a time dependent effect was observed, where the shorter incubation period was observed in animals containing larger number of amyloid plaques. Inoculation of tg2576-RML prions into wild type mice showed incubation periods similar to the original infectious material, suggesting that strains characteristics are maintained. In vitro data showed cross-seeding aggregation between PrPSc and Aß. Our findings suggest an interaction between Alzheimer's and prion pathologies, indicating that one protein misfolding process may be an important risk factor for the development of a second perhaps more prevalent disease. http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion%2...0Abstracts.pdf CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE MAD COW BASE, CWD, SCRAPIE UPDATE OCT 2007 http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.blogspot.com/ Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy UPDATE USA OCTOBER 2007 http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=53128 October 2007 Update on Feed Enforcement Activities to Limit the Spread of BSE http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=53149 TSS |
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03-22-2008, 01:26 PM | #9 | ||
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Original Paper
Association between Deposition of Beta-Amyloid and Pathological Prion Protein in Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Laura Debatina, Johannes Strefferb, Markus Geissenc, Jakob Matschkec, Adriano Aguzzia, Markus Glatzela, c aInstitute of Neuropathology, and bDivision of Psychiatry Research, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; cInstitute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany Address of Corresponding Author Neurodegenerative Dis (DOI: 10.1159/000121389) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Key Words Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Alzheimer's disease Deposition of -amyloid Prion protein ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Abstract Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and prion diseases such as sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) share common features concerning their molecular pathogenesis and neuropathological presentation and the coexistence of AD and CJD in patients suggest an association between the deposition of the proteolytically processed form of the amyloid precursor protein, -amyloid (A), which deposits in AD, and the abnormal form of the prion protein, PrPSc, which deposits in sCJD. Methods: We have characterized sCJD patients (n = 14), AD patients (n = 5) and nondemented controls (n = 5) with respect to the deposition of PrPSc and A morphologically, biochemically and genetically and correlated these findings to clinical data. Results: sCJD-diseased individuals with abundant deposits of A present with a specific clinicopathological profile, defined by higher age at disease onset, long disease duration, a genetic profile and only minimal amounts of PrPSc in the cerebellum. Conclusion: The co-occurrence of pathological changes typical for sCJD and AD in combination with the inverse association between accumulation of A and PrPSc in a subgroup of sCJD patients is indicative of common pathways involved in the generation or clearance of A and PrPSc in a subgroup of sCJD patients. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Author Contacts Markus Glatzel Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Martinistrasse 52, DE-20246 Hamburg (Germany) Tel. +49 40 42 803 2218, Fax +49 40 42 803 4929 E-Mail m.glatzel@uke.uni-hamburg.de http://content.karger.com/produktedb...file=000121389 Singeltary, Sr et al. JAMA.2001; 285: 733-734. Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings. To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Gibbons and colleagues1 reported that the annual US death rate due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been stable since 1985. These estimates, however, are based only on reported cases, and do not include misdiagnosed or preclinical cases. It seems to me that misdiagnosis alone would drastically change these figures. An unknown number of persons with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in fact may have CJD, although only a small number of these patients receive the postmortem examination necessary to make this diagnosis. Furthermore, only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies should be reportable nationwide and internationally. Terry S. Singeltary, Sr Bacliff, Tex 1. Gibbons RV, Holman RC, Belay ED, Schonberger LB. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States: 1979-1998. JAMA. 2000;284:2322-2323. FREE FULL TEXT http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content...urcetype=HWCIT see my full text on Alzheimers and CJD blog here ; http://betaamyloidcjd.blogspot.com/2...n-of-beta.html TSS |
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