Visual correlation between iron, amyloid‐beta, and tau depositions in the medial temporal lobe of Alzheimer's disease post‐mortem brains

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming more prevalent in an aging society, and numerous efforts have been devoted to learning about the disease. Consecutive sections of the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and frontal lobe regions from brains diagnosed with AD were stained for non‐heme iron (Fe) using a peroxidase enhanced Perl's stain, and for amyloid beta‐40 (Aβ‐40) and tau protein (tau) using an immunohistochemistry stain. We compared the qualitative spatial correlation between Fe, Aβ‐40, and tau deposits from images of the tissue. We determined that in human AD temporal lobe sections, Fe corresponded with Aβ‐40 depositions and heavy tau protein depositions. In sections from the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex region we found a correlation between Fe and Aβ‐40, but little correlation between Fe and tau depositions. The correlations found in the temporal lobe section suggests that one potential cause of AD is related to the build‐up Fe, Aβ‐40, and tau as well as Fe and Aβ‐40 in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.Grant Funding Source: NIH/NIA 1 R21 AG037843‐02, NIH/NCRR P41 RR013642‐12S1, Translational Research Fund (UCLA), and the McGinty Family Foundation