Levels of alpha- and beta-secretase cleaved amyloid precursor protein in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease patients

Neurosci Lett. 2000 Jan 14;278(3):169-72. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(99)00929-5.

Abstract

Alternative cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) results in generation and secretion of both soluble APP (sAPP) and beta-amyloid (Abeta). Abeta is the main component of the amyloid depositions in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Using Western blotting, we compared the levels of alpha-secretase cleaved sAPP, beta-secretase cleaved sAPP and total sAPP, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 13 sporadic AD patients and 13 healthy controls. Our findings show significant amounts of beta-secretase cleaved sAPP in CSF. There was no statistically significant difference in the levels of beta-secretase cleaved sAPP between AD patients and controls. The levels of alpha-secretase cleaved sAPP and total sAPP were, however, found to be significantly lower in the AD patients than in the controls.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / chemistry*
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Reference Values

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Endopeptidases
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • BACE2 protein, human
  • BACE1 protein, human