Tau and alpha-synuclein inclusions in a case of familial frontotemporal dementia and progressive aphasia

J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2005 Mar;64(3):245-53. doi: 10.1093/jnen/64.3.245.

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that neurofibrillary tangles are frequently accompanied by alpha-synuclein inclusions in sporadic and familial Alzheimer disease, in Down syndrome, in progressive supranuclear palsy, and Parkinsonism dementia complex of Guam. Here we report the cases of 2 brothers with familial progressive aphasia who developed features of frontotemporal dementia with predominant tau pathology but also alpha-synuclein pathology. The 2 patients' brains revealed abundant tau pathology in the hippocampus and basal ganglia, whereas tau and alpha-synuclein aggregates coexisted only in the nucleus basalis of Meynert, the only region where alpha-synuclein was present. In this brain region, abundant Lewy bodies, Lewy neurites, and tau inclusions were found; the pathology was more abundant in the older than in the younger brother. Sarkosyl-insoluble tau extracted from brains of the 2 patients showed the presence of tau filaments that contained 3 major tau bands of 60, 64, and 68 kDa on Western blot analysis. These bands contained mainly tau with 3 and 4 repeats and no amino-terminal inserts and tau with 4 repeats and one amino-terminal insert. No mutations were identified in the tau, alpha-synuclein, beta-synuclein, or parkin genes. We think that this is the first report showing a specific colocalization of neurofibrillary tangles and Lewy bodies in a family with progressive aphasia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aphasia / complications
  • Aphasia / metabolism*
  • Aphasia / pathology
  • Blotting, Western / methods
  • Dementia / complications
  • Dementia / metabolism*
  • Dementia / pathology
  • Family Health*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods
  • Lewy Bodies / metabolism
  • Lewy Bodies / pathology
  • Lewy Bodies / ultrastructure
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / methods
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / metabolism
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / pathology
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / ultrastructure
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Synucleins
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • beta-Synuclein
  • tau Proteins / genetics
  • tau Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • SNCA protein, human
  • SNCB protein, human
  • Synucleins
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • beta-Synuclein
  • tau Proteins