CHONDROITIN SULFATE PROTEOGLYCANS ARE A COMMON COMPONENT OF NEURONAL INCLUSIONS AND ASTROCYTIC REACTION IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

Previously, we showed three differentially sulfated forms of chondroit in sulfate proteoglycans (CSPG) associated with senile plaques, astroc ytes and neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease. Here, monoclo nal antibodies were used to demonstrate CSPGs in other neurodegenerati ve diseases. CSPGs were found associated with inclusions of Parkinson' s, diffuse Lewy body, Pick's diseases, and progressive supranuclear pa lsy. Reacting astrocytes in each of these neurodegenerative diseases a nd Huntington's disease showed immunoreactivity far CSPG. CSPG distrib ution in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases suggests that similar mechanisms may be involved in the accumulation of proteoglycans in a number of filamentous inclusions.