QUANTITATIVE DISTRIBUTION OF PARVALBUMIN, CALRETININ, AND CALBINDIN D-28K IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS IN THE VISUAL-CORTEX OF NORMAL AND ALZHEIMER CASES

The distribution of parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR), and calbindin ( CB) immunoreactive neurons was studied with the help of an image analy sis system (Vidas/Zeiss) in the primary visual area 17 and associative area 18 (Brodmann) of Alzheimer and control brains, In neither of the se areas was there a significant difference between Alzheimer and cont rol groups in the mean number of PV, CR, or CB immunoreactive neuronal profiles, counted in a cortical column going from pie to white matter Significant differences in the mean densities (numbers per square mil limeter of cortex) of PV, CR, and CB immunoreactive neuronal profiles were not observed either between groups or areas, but only between sup erficial, middle, and deep layers within areas 17 and 18. The optical density of the immunoreactive neuropil was also similar in Alzheimer a nd controls, correlating with the numerical density of immunoreactive profiles in superficial, middle, and deep layers. The frequency distri bution of neuronal areas indicated significant differences between PV, CR, and CB immunoreactive neuronal profiles in both areas 17 and 18, with more large PV than CR and GB positive profiles. There were also s ignificantly more small and less large PV and CR immunoreactive neuron al profiles in Alzheimer than in controls. Our data show that, althoug h the brain pathology is moderate to severe, there is no prominent dec rease of PV, CR and CB positive neurons in the visual cortex of Alzhei mer brains, but only selective changes in neuronal perikarya. (C) 1998 Academic Press.