Identification of autoantibody against beta-amyloid peptide in the serum of elderly.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by two major neurological features: amyloid deposits and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. According to the amyloid cascade hypothesis, accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide (A-beta) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of AD. Several lines of evidence suggest that antibodies against A-beta play a protective role in the neuropathology of AD.