INCREASED REGIONAL BRAIN CONCENTRATIONS OF CERULOPLASMIN IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS

Ceruloplasmin (CP), the major plasma anti-oxidant and copper transport protein, is synthesized in several tissues, including the brain. We c ompared regional brain concentrations of CP and copper between subject s with Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 12), Parkinson's disease (PD, n = 14), Huntington's disease (HD, n = 11), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP, n = 11), young adult normal controls (YC, n = 6) and elderly no rmal controls (EC, n = 7). Mean CP concentrations were significantly i ncreased vs. EC (P < 0.05) in AD hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, front al cortex, and putamen, PD hippocampus, frontal, temporal, and parieta l cortices, and HD hippocampus, parietal cortex, and substantia nigra. Immunocytochemical staining for CP in AD hippocampus revealed marked staining within neurons, astrocytes, and neuritic plaques. Increased C P concentrations in brain in these disorders may indicate a localized acute phase-type response and/or a compensatory increase to oxidative stress.