Pathological heterogeneity of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions delineated by ubiquitin immunohistochemistry and novel …

DM Sampathu, M Neumann, LK Kwong… - The American journal of …, 2006 - Elsevier
DM Sampathu, M Neumann, LK Kwong, TT Chou, M Micsenyi, A Truax, J Bruce…
The American journal of pathology, 2006Elsevier
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U) is a common
neuropathological subtype of frontotemporal dementia. Although this subtype of
frontotemporal dementia is defined by the presence of ubiquitin-positive but tau-and α-
synuclein-negative inclusions, it is unclear whether all cases of FTLD-U have the same
underlying pathogenesis. Examination of tissue sections from FTLD-U brains stained with
anti-ubiquitin antibodies revealed heterogeneity in the morphological characteristics of …
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U) is a common neuropathological subtype of frontotemporal dementia. Although this subtype of frontotemporal dementia is defined by the presence of ubiquitin-positive but tau- and α-synuclein-negative inclusions, it is unclear whether all cases of FTLD-U have the same underlying pathogenesis. Examination of tissue sections from FTLD-U brains stained with anti-ubiquitin antibodies revealed heterogeneity in the morphological characteristics of pathological inclusions among subsets of cases. Three types of FTLD-U were delineated based on morphology and distribution of ubiquitin-positive inclusions. To address the hypothesis that FTLD-U is pathologically heterogeneous, novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated by immunization of mice with high molecular mass (Mr > 250 kd) insoluble material prepared by biochemical fractionation of FTLD-U brains. Novel mAbs were identified that immunolabeled all of the ubiquitin-positive inclusions in one subset of FTLD-U cases, whereas other mAbs stained the ubiquitin-positive inclusions in a second subset of cases. These novel mAbs did not stain inclusions in other neurodegenerative disorders, including tauopathies and α-synucleinopathies. Therefore, ubiquitin immunohistochemistry and the immunostaining properties of the novel mAbs generated here suggest that FTLD-U is pathologically he-terogeneous. Identification of the disease proteins recognized by these mAbs will further advance understanding of molecular substrates of FTLD-U neurodegenerative pathways.
Elsevier