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DNA fragmentation, gliosis and histological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

The extent of DNA fragmentation analysed using the TUNEL technique was evaluated in post-mortem human brain tissue. Twenty-four patients with clinical and histopathological diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and a short post-mortem delay were analysed. We report an increase in the count of TUNEL-labelled cells as the pathology of AD intensifies. Our results point out a significant correlation between neurofibrillary tangle and senile/neuritic plaque score and TUNEL-labelled cells. Patients with two copies of apolipoprotein (Apo) E ɛ4 allele had highest number of histopathological hallmarks lesions of AD, whereas the ApoE genotype did not significantly influence the density of TUNEL-positive cells. No significant correlation was found between β-amyloid protein load and TUNEL-labelled cells. There was no relationship between the age at death, age at onset, extent of astrogliosis or microgliosis and TUNEL-labelled cells in our material.

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Received: 23 November 1999 / Revised: 18 January 2000, 22 February2000 / Accepted: 22 February 2000

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Overmyer, M., Kraszpulski, M., Helisalmi, S. et al. DNA fragmentation, gliosis and histological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Acta Neuropathol 100, 681–687 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010000228

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010000228

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