Tau epitopes in spinal cord neurofibrillary lesions in Chamorros of Guam

Neuroreport. 2000 Nov 9;11(16):3427-30. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200011090-00005.

Abstract

We examined spinal cord sections from Guamanian Chamorros with or without amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or parkinsonism-dementia complex using immunohistochemistry and antibodies to epitopes that span the length of tau to characterize the tau epitope profile of neurofibrillary tangles in these spinal cords. Most (16/20) spinal cords, including some from Chamorros without documented clinical disease, contained tangles with a tau epitope profile similar to the tangles found in the forebrain and brain stem of these patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / pathology
  • Epitopes
  • Ethnicity
  • Female
  • Guam
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motor Neuron Disease / pathology*
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / pathology*
  • Parkinsonian Disorders / pathology*
  • Spinal Cord / cytology*
  • Spinal Cord / pathology
  • tau Proteins / analysis*

Substances

  • Epitopes
  • tau Proteins