Abstract
In confirmed late-onset (>65 years) Alzheimer's disease, we found a greater load, both of overall neuritic plaques and of cholinesterase-positive neuritic plaques, in the temporal cortex of carriers of the butyrylcholinesterase K variant (BCHE-K) aged <80 years than of all other patients. The differences were most striking in the case of cholinesterase-positive neuritic plaques. Among BCHE-K carriers, densities of such plaques were over six times higher in patients <80 years at death than in those >80 years (P=0.01). Furthermore, in subjects <80 years, BCHE-K carriers had nearly six-fold greater densities of these plaques than non-carriers (P=0.009). We consider three potential explanations for these findings: that the K variant binds more readily to plaque constituents, that it promotes fibril formation or that it induces aberrant neurite growth.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 447-52 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Human Genetics |
Volume | 106 |
Issue number | 4 |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2000 |
Keywords
- Age of Onset
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Alzheimer Disease
- Butyrylcholinesterase
- Humans
- Plaque, Amyloid
- Point Mutation
- Temporal Lobe