EXPRESSION OF INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM-BINDING PROTEINS IN CULTURED SKINFIBROBLASTS FROM ALZHEIMER AND NORMAL AGED DONORS

Disturbed calcium homeostasis may play a role in the etiology in Alzhe imer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. A protective role against cellular degeneration has been postulated for Ca2+-binding proteins i n certain neuron populations. Recent data suggest that intracellular f ree calcium regulation is also altered in several non-neuronal cells, including skin fibroblasts, from patients with Alzheimer's disease. In this study we analyzed the expression of several EF-hand Ca2+-binding proteins in cultured skin fibroblasts from Alzheimer patients and age -matched normal donors. We detected a strong expression of some member s of the S100 Ca2+-binding protein family and of calcineurin A. Howeve r, no significant differences were found between both types of donors by Northern blot and Western blot analysis. In addition, similar signa ls were detected on Ca-45(2+)-blots of fibroblast extracts of Alzheime r patients and control donors. The present findings indicate that the altered level of some intracellular calcium-binding proteins in certai n brain areas of Alzheimer patients is not found in skin fibroblasts o f these patients.