ANTIBRAIN SPECTRIN IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE - DEGRADATION OF SPECTRIN IN AN ANIMAL-MODEL OF CHOLINERGIC DEGENERATION

In a previous work, we described the existence of anti-brain spectrin auto antibodies in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients (J. Neuroimmunol. 68 (1996) 39-44). In this report, we further support our previous obs ervations, showing that sera from 9 out of 18 AD patients, but none of 14 control subjects, immunoreacted with spectrin synthesized by PC12 cells. In addition, degradation of brain spectrin was found to be grea tly enhanced in the frontal cortex of rats subjected to an animal mode l of cholinergic degeneration. Our data suggest that spectrin degradat ion and generation of anti-spectrin auto antibodies may be related to the cholinergic degeneration encountered in AD.