FURTHER ULTRASTRUCTURAL EVIDENCE THAT SPIROCHETES MAY PLAY A ROLE IN THE ETIOLOGY OF ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

RECENTLY it was reported that, at autopsy, in neuropathologically conf irmed cases of Alzheimer's disease spirochaetes were found in blood an d cerebrospinal fluid using dark-field microscopy. Moreover, the spiro chaetes were isolated and cultured from brain tissue. We now show, usi ng scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy that the h elically shaped microorganisms isolated and cultured from the Alzheime r brains possess axial filaments. This indicates that these microorgan isms taxonomically indeed belong to the order Spirochaetales. A morpho metric analysis reinforces this notion.