DIGOXIGENIN-TAGGED ANTI-GFAP AND MULTIPLE LABELING OF HUMAN GLIA, VESSELS AND BETA-AMYLOID

CYTOCHEMICAL procedures for the combined demonstration of astroglia, m icroglia, blood vessels and beta-amyloid in the human brain were devel oped. These multiple label experiments include the first adaptation of the digoxigenin-antidigoxigenin technique to immunocytochemistry by u sing digoxigenylated antibodies directed against the glial fibrillary acidic protein and its visualization in astrocytes with an antidigoxig enin-peroxidase conjugate and diaminobenzidine as chromogen. Furthermo re, the specific labelling of microglial cells was performed with the novel enhanced polymer one-step staining technique, non-interfering wi th conventional detection systems. The demonstration of spatial relati onships between glial and vascular components in normal tissue and the ir alterations, e.g. in Alzheimer's disease, might provide insights in to the time course and localization of pathological events.