Demonstration of CRP immunoreactivity in brains of Alzheimer's disease: immunohistochemical study using formic acid pretreatment of tissue sections

Abstract

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a well-known serum protein which increases during inflammation and deposits in destructed tissues. To establish whether CRP appears in brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD), we immunohistochemically investigated tissue sections which were pretreated with formic acid. Positive immunostainings by anti-CRP antibodies were clearly recognized in senile plaques (SP) in the pretreated tissue sections whereas very weak immunostainings in non-treated sections. These findings may suggest that the formation process of SP contains an acute phase of inflammatory state.