Ceruloplasmin immunoreactivity in neurodegenerative disorders

Ceruloplasmin (CP) is a 132kd cuproprotein which, together with transferrin, provides the majority of anti-oxidant capacity in serum. Increased iron deposition and lipid peroxidation in the basal ganglia of subjects with hereditary CP deficiency suggest that CP may serve as an anti-oxidant in the brain as well. The present study compared CP immunoreactivity in brain specimens from normal controls and subjects with neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's disease AD], Parkinson's disease PD], progressive supranuclear palsy PSP], and Huntington's disease HD]) (n = 5 per group). The relative intensity of neuronal CP staining and the numbers of CP-stained neurons per 25x microscope field were determined in hippocampus (CA1, subiculum, and parahippocampal gyrus), parietal cortex, frontal cortex, substantia nigra, and caudate. CP was detected in both neurons and astrocytes in all specimens, and in senile plaques and occasional neurofibrillary tangles in AD brain. Neuronal CP staining intensity tended to increase in most AD brain regions, but was statistically significant vs controls only in the CA1 region of hippocampus (p = .016). Neuronal CP staining in brain specimens from other neurodegenerative disorders showed a slight but nonsignificant increase vs controls. The numbers of CP-stained neurons per field did not differ between the various neurodegenerative disorders and controls. These results suggest that a modest increase in neuronal CP content is present in the AD brain, and lesser elevations in neuronal CP occur in the other neurodegenerative disorders in this study. Though CP functions as both an acute phase protein and an anti-oxidant in peripheral tissues, whether it does so in the brain remains to be determined.