Immunohistochemical characterization of early progressive supranuclear palsy-like pathology in argyrophilic grain disease and progressive supranuclear palsy in the elderly

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09867
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Yokota Osamu 岡山大学, 医学部, 客員研究員 (60379732)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 寺田 整司 岡山大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科, 准教授 (20332794)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: タウ / Granular/fuzzy astrocyte / Argyrophilic grains

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined tau-positive astrocytic lesions in the striatum in argyrophilic grain disease (AGD, n=26) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP, n=14) using a panel of anti-tau antibodies, anti-ubiquitin antibodies, and anti-p62 antibodies. The number of granular/fuzzy astrocytes (GFAs) stained with various antibodies increased with the progression of the AGD stage. GFAs in AGD cases with AGD stage II and III but not AGD stage I were stained with 4R tau-specific antibody. Immunohistochemical features of GFAs in PSP cases were similar to those of GFAs in AGD cases, although the number of GFAs in PSP cases was larger than that in AGD cases. These findings suggest that accumulated tau protein in astrocytic lesions in AGD cases were sequentially phosphorylated with the progression of AGD stage. Further, the ubiquitin-proteasome system and macroautophagy-lysosome system may be associated with the tau-positive lesions in AGD and PSP cases in the later stage.

Free Research Field

老年期精神医学