Alzheimer's disease: the beta amyloid protein A4 is also present in the cortical white matter

Amyloid deposits constituted with the beta amyloid protein A4 (beta PA4) have been recently immunodetected in skin and intestine wall of Alzheimer's patients. These findings support the hypothesis of an extraneuronal origin of the beta PA4. Until now, these amyloid deposits had not been observed in the white matter of Alzheimer's brains. Using an antiserum against the 1-10 N Ter subsequence of the beta PA4, we immunodetected amyloid deposits in white matter sections of Alzheimer's brains, pretreated with periodic acid. The immunolabelled amyloid substance was associated with capillaries. These original findings are in good agreement with the vascular origin of the beta PA4.