We have shown that routine biopsies of the ascending colon obtained at colonoscopy allow the detection of Lewy neurites (LN) in the enteric nervous system (ENS) of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Although colonoscopy is a relatively safe procedure, it requires colon preparation and anesthesia. The present study was therefore undertaken to evaluate whether descending colon and rectal biopsies that are obtainable by rectosigmoidoscopy allow the detection of Lewy pathology in the ENS. A total of 9 controls and 26 PD patients were included and analyzed. Two biopsies were taken from the ascending, descending colon and rectum during the course of a total colonoscopy. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using antibodies against phosphorylated alpha-synuclein to detect LN and neurofilaments 200 kDa to label the neuronal structures. Biopsies from ascending, descending colon and rectum were morphologically comparable. LN were detected in the biopsies of ascending colon in 17 PD patients (65%), of descending colon in 11 patients (42%) and of rectum in only 6 patients (23%). No LN were seen in control biopsies. Our results show that Lewy pathology follows a rostrocaudal distribution in the colon and rectum of PD patients. Therefore, rectal biopsies have substantially lower sensitivity than ascending colon biopsies to detect Lewy pathology in the gut.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2011.08.014 | DOI Listing |
Free Neuropathol
January 2024
Department of Pathology, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Artificial Intelligence & Human Health, Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research CoRE, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
This review highlights a collection of both diverse and highly impactful studies published in the previous year selected by the author from the neurodegenerative neuropathology literature. As with previous reviews in this series, the focus is, to the best of my ability, to highlight human tissue-based experimentation most relevant to experimental and clinical neuropathologists. A concerted effort was made to balance the selected studies across neurodegenerative disease categories, approaches, and methodologies to capture the breadth of the research landscape.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement (Amst)
January 2025
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department Neurodegenerative Pathologies LBMMS Hospices Civils de Lyon Lyon France.
Introduction: Seed amplification assays (SAAs) demonstrate remarkable diagnostic performance in alpha-synucleinopathies. However, existing protocols lack accessibility in routine laboratories, mainly due to the requirement for in-house production of recombinant alpha-synuclein (aSyn). This study proposes a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) aSyn-SAA protocol using solely commercial reagents to facilitate its clinical implementation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Epigenetics and Immune Disease Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
Dysregulated microglia activation, leading to neuroinflammation, is crucial in neurodegenerative disease development and progression. We constructed an atlas of human brain immune cells by integrating nineteen single-nucleus RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq datasets from multiple neurodegenerative conditions, comprising 241 samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Lewy body diseases, COVID-19, and healthy controls. The integrated Human Microglia Atlas (HuMicA) included 90,716 nuclei/cells and revealed nine populations distributed across all conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain
January 2025
Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA.
Seizures in people with dementia (PWD) are associated with faster cognitive decline and worse clinical outcomes. However, the relationship between ongoing seizure activity and postmortem neuropathology in PWD remains unexplored. We compared post-mortem findings in PWD with active, remote, and no seizures using multicentre data from 39 Alzheimer's Disease Centres from 2005 to 2021.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Commun
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
The largest risk factor for dementia is age. Heterochronic blood exchange studies have uncovered age-related blood factors that demonstrate 'pro-aging' or 'pro-youthful' effects on the mouse brain. The clinical relevance and combined effects of these factors for humans is unclear.
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