Morphological alterations of the choroid plexus in late-onset Alzheimer's disease

Anomalies of the cerebrospinal fluid flow rate and composition that have be en reported in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) could be re lated to alterations of the choroid plexuses (CD). Here we report a photoni c and electron morphometric study in which we compared the height of CP epi thelial cells and the thickness of their basement membrane on post-mortem s amples from AD patients, age-matched controls and two new-borns. Ageing app eared associated with epithelial atrophy and basement membrane thickening, but these features were significantly accentuated in AD. These data suggest that a dramatic alteration of the secretion and filtration could be involv ed in the multiparametric pathogenesis of late-onset AD.