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Cell death in Alzheimer's disease evaluated by DNA fragmentation in situ

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Abstract

Loss of nerve cells is a hallmark of the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the patterns of cell death are unknown. By analyzing DNA fragmentation in situ we found evidence for cell death not only of nerve cells but also of oligodendrocytes and microglia in AD brains. In average, 30 times more brain cells showed DNA fragmentation in AD as compared to age-matched controls. Nuclear alterations suggestive of apoptosis were rare in degenerating cells. Even though the majority of degenerating cells were not located within amyloid deposits and did not contain neurofibrillary tangles, neurons situated within areas of amyloid deposits or affected by neurofibrillary degeneration revealed a higher risk of DNA fragmentation and death than cells not exposed to these AD changes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit for Experimental Neuropathology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, A-1090, Wien, Austria

    Hans Lassmann & Helene Breitschopf

  2. Neurological Institute, University Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, A-1090, Wien, Austria

    Hans Lassmann

  3. Department of Neurology, Lainz Hospital, Wolkersbergenstrasse 1, A-1130, Wien, Austria

    Christian Bancher & Kurt Jellinger

  4. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Wolkersbergenstrasse 1, A-1130, Wien, Austria

    Christian Bancher & Kurt Jellinger

  5. New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050, Forest Hill Road, 10314-6399, Staten Island, NY, USA

    Jerzy Wegiel, Maciej Bobinski & Henryk M. Wisniewski

Authors
  1. Hans Lassmann
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  2. Christian Bancher
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  3. Helene Breitschopf
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  4. Jerzy Wegiel
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  5. Maciej Bobinski
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  6. Kurt Jellinger
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  7. Henryk M. Wisniewski
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Lassmann, H., Bancher, C., Breitschopf, H. et al. Cell death in Alzheimer's disease evaluated by DNA fragmentation in situ. Acta Neuropathol 89, 35–41 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00294257

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00294257

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