IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GLIAL FIBRILLARY TANGLES IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE BRAIN

Neurofibrillary tangle is a major cytoskeletal pathology in Alzheimer' s disease brains, and has been considered to develop exclusively in ne uronal cells. We examined brains with Alzheimer's disease and observed argyrophilic fibrillary tangles lot only is cortical neurons but also in subcortical glial cells in the frontal and temporal white matter. The tangles in glial cells were immunolabeled by antibodies against ta u and ubiquitin, and double immunocytochemistry analyzed by confocal l aser scanning microscopy demonstrated that the cytoplasms of tangle-be aring glia were labeled by antibodies against transferrin and 2'3'-cyc lic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase. Ultrastructurally, they were made up of bundles of straight filaments 16 nm in diameter and constricted filaments. These results indicate that fibrillary tangles resembling n eurofibrillary tangles may develop in oligodendrocytes in brains with Alzheimer's disease and are distinguishable from glial cytoplasmic inc lusions observed in multiple system atrophy brains We referred to them as glial fibrillary tangles. Glial fibrillary tangles commonly occurr ed in this disease condition, and glial cells might be involved under the pathological processes similar to neuronal cells.