Abstract
We evaluated the proportion of classic plaques among all of the senile plaques in four Alzheimer brains (frontal, temporal, occipital and hippocampal areas) by the usual method of two-dimensional analysis using a single methenamine silver-stained section and three-dimensional analysis using a set of serial sections. Three-dimensional analysis showed the number and percentage of classic plaques to be 2–5 times greater than those revealed by two-dimensional analysis. In the hippocampal area of one case, no classic plaques were found by two-dimensional analysis but three-dimensional analysis showed that some classic plaques were present. From these findings, it is suggested that three-dimensional analysis using serial sections is indispensable for sub-classifying senile plaques.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association (1987) DSM-III-R: diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 3rd edn, revised. APA, Washington, DC
Armstrong RA, Myers D, Smith CUM (1993) The spatial patterns of β/A4 deposit subtypes in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 86:36–41
Delaère P, Duyckaerts C, He Y, Piette F, Hauw JJ (1991) Subtypes and differential laminar distributions of βΔ4 deposits in Alzheimer's disease: relationship with the intellectual status of 26 cases. Acta Neuropathol 81:328–335
Gibson PH (1983) Form and distribution of senile plaques seen in silver impregnated sections in the brains of intellectually normal elderly people and people with Alzheimer-type dementia. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 9:379–389
Ikeda S, Allsop D, Glenner G (1989) Morphology and distribution of plaque and related deposits in the brains of Alzheimer's disease and control cases: an immunohistochemical study using amyloid-β-protein antibody. Lab Invest 60:113–122
Khachaturian ZS (1985) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Arch Neurol 42:1097–1105
Kimura T, Hisano T, Yoshida H, Ueda K, Miyakawa T (1993) Classification of senile plaques by three-dimensional analysis. Jpn J Psychiatr Neurol 47:657–660
Majocha RE, Benes FM, Reifel JL, Rodenrys AM, Marotta CA (1988) Laminar-specific distribution and infrastructural detail of amyloid in the Alzheimer disease cortex visualized by computer-enhanced imaging of epitopes recognized by monoclonal antibodies. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:6182–6186
Makifuchi T, Takahashi H, Ikuta F (1987) Amyloid in primitive senile plaque: serial PAM electron microscopic study (in Japanese). Annual Report of Slow Virus Infection Research Committee 1986, Tokyo, pp 110–113
Mandybur TI (1975) The incidence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in Alzheimer's disease. Neurology 25:120–126
Miyakawa T, Katsuragi S, Yamashita K, Ohuchi K (1992) Morphological study of amyloid fibrils and preamyloid deposits in the brain with Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 83:340–346
Ogomori K, Kitamoto T, Tateishi J, Sato Y, Suetsugu M, Abe M (1989) β-Protein amyloid is widely distributed in the central nervous system of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Am J Pathol 134:243–251
Tagliavini F, Giaccone G, Frangione B, Bugiani O (1988) Preamyloid deposits in the cerebral cortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease and nondemented individuals. Neurosci Lett 93:191–196
Wisniewski HM, Terry RD (1973) Reexamination of the pathogenesis of the senile plaque. In: Zimmerman HM (ed) Progress in neuropathology, vol 2. Grune & Stratton, New York, pp 1–26
Wisniewski HM, Bancher C, Barcikowska M, Wen GY, Currie J (1989) Spectrum of morphological appearance of amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 78:337–347
Yamaguchi H, Hirai S, Morimatsu M, Shoji M, Harigaya Y (1988) Diffuse type of senile plaques in the brains of Alzheimer-type dementia. Acta Neuropathol 77:113–119
Yamaguchi H, Haga C, Hirai S, Nakazato Y, Kosaka K (1990) Distinctive, rapid, and easy labeling on diffuse plaques in the Alzheimer brains by a new methenamine silver stain. Acta Neuropathol 79:569–572
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kimura, T., Hisano, T., Yoshida, H. et al. Re-evaluation of classic senile plaques by three-dimensional analysis. J Neurol 241, 624–627 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00920628
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00920628