G. Leuba et al., QUANTITATIVE DISTRIBUTION OF PARVALBUMIN, CALRETININ, AND CALBINDIN D-28K IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS IN THE VISUAL-CORTEX OF NORMAL AND ALZHEIMER CASES, Experimental neurology, 152(2), 1998, pp. 278-291
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.