Laminar distribution of the pathological changes in sporadic frontotemporal lobar degeneration with transactive response (TAR) DNA-binding protein of 43kDa (TDP-43) proteinopathy: a quantitative study using polynomial curve fitting

R.A. Armstrong*, R.L. Hamilton, I.R.A. Mackenzie, J. Hedreen, N. J. Cairns

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Aims: Previous data suggest heterogeneity in laminar distribution of the pathology in the molecular disorder frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with transactive response (TAR) DNA-binding protein of 43kDa (TDP-43) proteinopathy (FTLD-TDP). To study this heterogeneity, we quantified the changes in density across the cortical laminae of neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions, glial inclusions, neuronal intranuclear inclusions, dystrophic neurites, surviving neurones, abnormally enlarged neurones, and vacuoles in regions of the frontal and temporal lobe. Methods: Changes in density of histological features across cortical gyri were studied in 10 sporadic cases of FTLD-TDP using quantitative methods and polynomial curve fitting. Results: Our data suggest that laminar neuropathology in sporadic FTLD-TDP is highly variable. Most commonly, neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions, dystrophic neurites and vacuolation were abundant in the upper laminae and glial inclusions, neuronal intranuclear inclusions, abnormally enlarged neurones, and glial cell nuclei in the lower laminae. TDP-43-immunoreactive inclusions affected more of the cortical profile in longer duration cases; their distribution varied with disease subtype, but was unrelated to Braak tangle score. Different TDP-43-immunoreactive inclusions were not spatially correlated. Conclusions: Laminar distribution of pathological features in 10 sporadic cases of FTLD-TDP is heterogeneous and may be accounted for, in part, by disease subtype and disease duration. In addition, the feedforward and feedback cortico-cortical connections may be compromised in FTLD-TDP. © 2012 The Authors. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology © 2012 British Neuropathological Society.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)335-347
Number of pages13
JournalNeuropathology and Applied Neurobiology
Volume39
Issue number4
Early online date25 Apr 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2013

Keywords

  • frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 proteinopathy (FTLD-TDP)
  • FTLD with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U)
  • laminar distribution
  • neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCI)
  • transactive response (TAR) DNA-binding protein of 43kDa (TDP-43)

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