A quantitative study of tau pathology in eleven cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

R.A. Armstrong; A.C. McKee; T.D. Stein; V.E. Alvarez; N.J. Cairns

doi:10.1111/nan.12323

A quantitative study of tau pathology in eleven cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

R.A. Armstrong, A.C. McKee, T.D. Stein, V.E. Alvarez, N.J. Cairns

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

AIMS: To quantify tau pathology of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and investigate influence of dot-like lesions (DL), brain region, co-morbidity, and sporting career length.

METHODS: Densities of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), astrocytic tangles (AT), DL, oligodendroglial inclusions (GI), neuropil threads (NT), vacuoles, neurons, and enlarged neurons (EN) were measured in tau-immunoreactive sections of upper cortical laminae of frontal and temporal lobe, hippocampus (HC), amygdala, and substantia nigra (SN) of eleven cases of CTE.

RESULTS: DL were a consistent finding in CTE. Densities of NFT, NT and DL were greatest in sectors CA1 and CA2 of the HC. Densities of AT were lower than NFT, small numbers of GI were recorded in temporal lobe, and low densities of vacuoles and EN were consistently present. β-amyloid containing neuritic plaques (NP) also occurred at low density. Densities of NFT, NT, DL, and AT were greater in sulci than gyri while vacuole density was greater in gyri. Principal components analysis (PCA) suggested that sporting career length and densities of NFT in entorhinal cortex, NT in CA2 and SN, and vacuolation in the DG were significant sources of variation among cases.

CONCLUSION: DL are frequent in CTE suggesting affinity with argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PD-Dem). Densities of AT in all regions and NT/DL in sectors CA2/4 were consistent features of CTE. The eleven cases are neuropathologically heterogeneous which may result from genetic diversity, and variation in anatomical pathways subjected to trauma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	154-166
Journal	Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology
Volume	43
Issue number	2
Early online date	15 Apr 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/nan.12323
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2017

Bibliographical note

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Armstrong, R. A., McKee, A. C., Stein, T. D., Alvarez, V. E., & Cairns, N. J. (2016). A quantitative study of tau pathology in eleven cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, Early view, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nan.12323. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.

Keywords

chronic traumatic encephalopathy
tau
neurofibrillary tangle
astrocytic tangle
principal component analysis

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10.1111/nan.12323

Tau pathology in cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Armstrong, R. A., McKee, A. C., Stein, T. D., Alvarez, V. E., & Cairns, N. J. (2016). A quantitative study of tau pathology in eleven cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, Early view, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nan.12323. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Accepted author manuscript, 958 KB

Cite this

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title = "A quantitative study of tau pathology in eleven cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy",

abstract = "AIMS: To quantify tau pathology of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and investigate influence of dot-like lesions (DL), brain region, co-morbidity, and sporting career length.METHODS: Densities of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), astrocytic tangles (AT), DL, oligodendroglial inclusions (GI), neuropil threads (NT), vacuoles, neurons, and enlarged neurons (EN) were measured in tau-immunoreactive sections of upper cortical laminae of frontal and temporal lobe, hippocampus (HC), amygdala, and substantia nigra (SN) of eleven cases of CTE.RESULTS: DL were a consistent finding in CTE. Densities of NFT, NT and DL were greatest in sectors CA1 and CA2 of the HC. Densities of AT were lower than NFT, small numbers of GI were recorded in temporal lobe, and low densities of vacuoles and EN were consistently present. β-amyloid containing neuritic plaques (NP) also occurred at low density. Densities of NFT, NT, DL, and AT were greater in sulci than gyri while vacuole density was greater in gyri. Principal components analysis (PCA) suggested that sporting career length and densities of NFT in entorhinal cortex, NT in CA2 and SN, and vacuolation in the DG were significant sources of variation among cases.CONCLUSION: DL are frequent in CTE suggesting affinity with argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PD-Dem). Densities of AT in all regions and NT/DL in sectors CA2/4 were consistent features of CTE. The eleven cases are neuropathologically heterogeneous which may result from genetic diversity, and variation in anatomical pathways subjected to trauma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.",

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author = "R.A. Armstrong and A.C. McKee and T.D. Stein and V.E. Alvarez and N.J. Cairns",

note = "This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Armstrong, R. A., McKee, A. C., Stein, T. D., Alvarez, V. E., & Cairns, N. J. (2016). A quantitative study of tau pathology in eleven cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, Early view, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nan.12323. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.",

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AU - McKee, A.C.

AU - Stein, T.D.

AU - Alvarez, V.E.

AU - Cairns, N.J.

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N2 - AIMS: To quantify tau pathology of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and investigate influence of dot-like lesions (DL), brain region, co-morbidity, and sporting career length.METHODS: Densities of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), astrocytic tangles (AT), DL, oligodendroglial inclusions (GI), neuropil threads (NT), vacuoles, neurons, and enlarged neurons (EN) were measured in tau-immunoreactive sections of upper cortical laminae of frontal and temporal lobe, hippocampus (HC), amygdala, and substantia nigra (SN) of eleven cases of CTE.RESULTS: DL were a consistent finding in CTE. Densities of NFT, NT and DL were greatest in sectors CA1 and CA2 of the HC. Densities of AT were lower than NFT, small numbers of GI were recorded in temporal lobe, and low densities of vacuoles and EN were consistently present. β-amyloid containing neuritic plaques (NP) also occurred at low density. Densities of NFT, NT, DL, and AT were greater in sulci than gyri while vacuole density was greater in gyri. Principal components analysis (PCA) suggested that sporting career length and densities of NFT in entorhinal cortex, NT in CA2 and SN, and vacuolation in the DG were significant sources of variation among cases.CONCLUSION: DL are frequent in CTE suggesting affinity with argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PD-Dem). Densities of AT in all regions and NT/DL in sectors CA2/4 were consistent features of CTE. The eleven cases are neuropathologically heterogeneous which may result from genetic diversity, and variation in anatomical pathways subjected to trauma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

AB - AIMS: To quantify tau pathology of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and investigate influence of dot-like lesions (DL), brain region, co-morbidity, and sporting career length.METHODS: Densities of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), astrocytic tangles (AT), DL, oligodendroglial inclusions (GI), neuropil threads (NT), vacuoles, neurons, and enlarged neurons (EN) were measured in tau-immunoreactive sections of upper cortical laminae of frontal and temporal lobe, hippocampus (HC), amygdala, and substantia nigra (SN) of eleven cases of CTE.RESULTS: DL were a consistent finding in CTE. Densities of NFT, NT and DL were greatest in sectors CA1 and CA2 of the HC. Densities of AT were lower than NFT, small numbers of GI were recorded in temporal lobe, and low densities of vacuoles and EN were consistently present. β-amyloid containing neuritic plaques (NP) also occurred at low density. Densities of NFT, NT, DL, and AT were greater in sulci than gyri while vacuole density was greater in gyri. Principal components analysis (PCA) suggested that sporting career length and densities of NFT in entorhinal cortex, NT in CA2 and SN, and vacuolation in the DG were significant sources of variation among cases.CONCLUSION: DL are frequent in CTE suggesting affinity with argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PD-Dem). Densities of AT in all regions and NT/DL in sectors CA2/4 were consistent features of CTE. The eleven cases are neuropathologically heterogeneous which may result from genetic diversity, and variation in anatomical pathways subjected to trauma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

KW - chronic traumatic encephalopathy

KW - tau

KW - neurofibrillary tangle

KW - astrocytic tangle

KW - principal component analysis

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DO - 10.1111/nan.12323

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JO - Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology

JF - Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology

IS - 2

ER -

A quantitative study of tau pathology in eleven cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

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Keywords

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