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Argyrophilic grain disease: frequency and neuropathology in centenarians

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Abstract

Argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) is a progressive degenerative disease of the human brain, the prevalence of which increases with advancing age. The features of AGD in autopsied brains from 32 centenarians were studied using phosphorylated tau (AT8) immunostaining combined with Gallyas–Braak staining and 4R tau-specific antibody (RD4) immunostaining. Ten of 32 centenarians were diagnosed as AGD, yielding an overall frequency of 31.3%. In the demented group, nine (39.1%) of 23 cases were found with argyrophilic grains (AGs), while in the non-demented group, AGs were found in only one (11.1%) of nine cases, the difference between them being significant (P<0.05). Among the cases with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), five (41.7%) of 12 were found with AGs. One (25%) of four cases with senile dementia with tangles (SDT) also suffered from AGD. Dementia caused by “pure” AGD accounted for 13% (3/23) among demented subjects. Our findings indicated that there is a high frequency of AGD in centenarians. In agreement with previous studies, we favor the view that age may be one of the risk factors for AGD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Zheng-Tong Ding, Yin Wang & Yu-Ping Jiang

  2. Department of Neurology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Zheng-Tong Ding & Yu-Ping Jiang

  3. Department of Neuropathology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Yin Wang

  4. Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute-cho, Aichi-gun, 480-1195, Aichi, Japan

    Mari Yoshida, Maya Mimuro & Yoshio Hashizume

  5. Department of Neurology, Nagoyashi Kohseiin Geriatric Hospital, Nagoya, Japan

    Toshiaki Inagaki & Tamaki Iwase

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  1. Zheng-Tong Ding
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  2. Yin Wang
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Correspondence to Yoshio Hashizume.

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Ding, ZT., Wang, Y., Jiang, YP. et al. Argyrophilic grain disease: frequency and neuropathology in centenarians. Acta Neuropathol 111, 320–328 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-006-0043-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-006-0043-2

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