Cortical mapping of Alzheimer pathology in brains of aged non-demented subjects

1. The presence of Alzheimer-type neurofibrillary pathology and amyloid deposits within the brains of 27 aged non-demented subjects was investigated by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry using antibodies directed against pathological Tau proteins 55, 64 and 69 and beta A4 respectively. 2. The abnormal Tau triplet, a biochemical marker of neurofibrillary degeneration was quantified by western blot and densitometric analysis in several cortical areas including the entorhinal cortex (EC), hippocampus and Brodmann areas (BA) 38, 20, 22, 35, 9, 44 and 39. 3. The abnormal Tau triplet was detected in the EC and the hippocampus of most of the controls aged over 70 years. In few control cases abnormal Tau proteins were also detected in the isocortex, in BA38 alone or also in BA20. Some cases and especially those with Tau pathology in the temporal lobe contained numerous senile plaques (SP) in the neocortex. 4. The authors conclude that control cases with Tau pathology in the temporal lobe and numerous SP in the neocortex were likely to be subclinical stages of AD whereas others with Tau pathology exclusively detected in the EC and hippocampus and without or few SP in the neocortex were related to normal aging.

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