Codistribution of amyloid beta plaques and spongiform degeneration in familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with the E200K-129M haplotype.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Dominantly inherited Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) represents 5% to 15% of all CJD cases. The E200K mutation in the prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP) is the most frequent cause of familial CJD. Coexistent amyloid beta (Abeta) plaques have been reported in some transmissible spongiform encephalopathies but to date have not been reported in familial CJD with the E200K mutation.

OBJECTIVE:

To characterize a family with CJD in which Abeta plaques codistribute with spongiform degeneration.

DESIGN:

Clinicopathologic and molecular study of a family with CJD with the E200K-129M haplotype.

SETTING:

Alzheimer disease research center.

PARTICIPANTS:

Two generations of a family.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Clinical, biochemical, and neuropathologic observations in 2 generations of a family.

RESULTS:

In this kindred, 3 autopsied cases showed pathologic changes typical for the E200K-129M haplotype, including spongiform degeneration, gliosis, neuronal loss, and PrP deposition. Moreover, 2 of these cases (ages 57 and 63 years) showed numerous Abeta plaques codistributed with spongiform degeneration. APOE genotyping in 2 cases revealed that Abeta plaques were present in the APOE epsilon4 carrier but not in the APOE epsilon4 noncarrier. Two additional cases exhibited incomplete penetrance, as they had no clinical evidence of CJD at death after age 80 years but had affected siblings and children.

CONCLUSIONS:

To our knowledge, this is the first description of Abeta plaques in familial CJD with the E200K mutation. The codistribution of plaques and CJD-associated changes suggests that PrP plays a central role in Abeta formation and that Abeta pathology and prion disease likely in fluence each other. The kindred described herein provides support that PrP(E200K) may result in increased Abeta deposition.

• Authors: Nupur Ghoshal, Ignazio Cali, Richard Justin Perrin, S Andrew Josephson, Ning Sun, Pierluigi Gambetti, John Carl Morris
• Journal: Archives of neurology (Arch Neurol) Vol. 66 Issue 10 Pg. 1240-6 (Oct 2009) ISSN: 1538-3687 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19822779 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Apolipoproteins E
• PRNP protein, human
• Prion Proteins
• Prions
• Endopeptidase K

Topics

• Age of Onset
• Aged, 80 and over
• Alzheimer Disease (genetics, pathology)
• Apolipoproteins E (genetics)
• Blotting, Western
• Brain (pathology)
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome (genetics, pathology)
• Endopeptidase K (chemistry)
• Female
• Genotype
• Haplotypes
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nerve Degeneration (genetics, pathology)
• Pedigree
• Plaque, Amyloid (genetics, pathology)
• Prion Proteins
• Prions (genetics)