STAINING OF CEREBRAL AMYLOID PLAQUE GLYCOPROTEINS IN PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE WITH THE MICROGLIA-SPECIFIC LECTIN FROM MISTLETOE

Glycoconjugates in the amyloid plaques in the cerebral cortex of patie nts with Alzheimer's disease were stained with a lectin from mistletoe (ML-1). This lectin selectively stains microglial cells which can be found in the centre of many plaques. Since the terminal carbohydrate m oieties of some but not all of the plaques, which mainly consist of be taA4 protein, are identical to those of the microglial cells it is con cluded that glycoproteins within these plaques have been synthesised b y the microglial cell. These microglia deposited glycoproteins may be of importance for the formation of mature amyloid plaques.