Search results for " amyloid"

Prognostic Role of CSF β-amyloid 1–42/1–40 Ratio in Patients Affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

2021

The involvement of β-amyloid (Aβ) in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been widely discussed and its role in the disease is still a matter of debate. Aβ accumulates in the cortex and the anterior horn neurons of ALS patients and seems to affect their survival. To clarify the role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ 1–42 and Aβ 42/40 ratios as a potential prognostic biomarker for ALS, we performed a retrospective observational study on a cohort of ALS patients who underwent a lumbar puncture at the time of the diagnosis. CSF Aβ 1–40 and Aβ 1–42 ratios were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay and their values were correlated with clinical features. We found a signi…

Cerebral microbleeds and vascular cognitive impairment

2010

Abstract MRI manifestations of small vessel diseases including white matter hyperintensities and lacunes have been recognized as potential substrates of vascular cognitive impairment for many years. Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) – small, perviascular haemorrhages seen as small, well-demarcated, hypointense, rounded lesions on MRI sequences sensitive to magnetic susceptibility effects – are also now recognized as an imaging marker for small vessel pathology, but their clinical impact on cognition remains uncertain. CMBs are present in about a third of patients with ischaemic stroke, and in a high proportion of patients with Alzheimer's disease, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and vascular dementi…

Thioflavin T templates amyloid β(1–40) conformation and aggregation pathway

2015

Aβ(1-40) peptide supramolecular assembly and fibril formation processes are widely recognized to have direct implications in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The molecular basis of this biological process is still unknown and there is a strong need of developing effective strategies to control the occurring events. To this purpose the exploitation of small molecules interacting with Aβ aggregation represents one of the possible routes. Moreover, the use specific labeling has represented so far one of the most common and effective methods to investigate such a process. This possibility in turn rests on the reliability of the probe/labels involved. Here we present evidences of the effe…

Aggregation processes of intrinsically disordered proteins: influence of the environment

Amyloid-Beta Induces Different Expression Pattern of Tissue Transglutaminase and Its Isoforms on Olfactory Ensheathing Cells: Modulatory Effect of In…

2021

Abstract Alzhèimer Disease (AD) is characterized by protein aggregates in the brain, including amyloid-beta (Aβ), a substrate for tissue transglutaminase (TG2). We assessed the effect of full native peptide of Aβ (1–42), the fragments (25–35 and 35–25) on TG2 expression and its isoforms (Long and Short) on mouse Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (OECs). The levels of cytoskeletal proteins, Vimentin and Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein, were also studied. The effect of the pre-treatment with Indicaxanthin on cell viability, total Reactive Oxygen Species, superoxide anion and apoptotic pathway activation was assessed. Since Nestin is co-expressed in pluripotent stem cells with cyclin D1, their levels …

Transthyretin-Related Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP): A Single-Center Experience in Sicily, an Italian Endemic Area

2015

Abstract Background: Familial amyloid polyneuropathy related to transthyretin gene (TTR-FAP) is a life-threatening disease transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. Val30Met mutation accounts for the majority of the patients with large endemic foci especially in Portugal, Sweden and Japan. However, more than one hundred other mutations have been described worldwide. A great phenotypic variability among patients with late- and early-onset has been reported. Objective: To present a detailed report of TTR-FAP patients diagnosed in our tertiary neuromuscular center, in a 20-year period. Methods: Clinical informations were gathered through the database of our center. Results: The study involve…

Polyphenols extracted from three apple cultivars grown in Sicily: effect on k-casein aggregation

2016

Curcumin-Like Compounds as Neuroprotective Agents: Interactions with HSP60 and Amyloid Beta Peptide

2014

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) represents a fundamental challenge for public health in the 21st century. Current AD therapies largely focus on symptomatic aspects of the clinical pathology, but they have yet to demonstrate any major impact on the disease progression [1]. The most important role of the research aimed at fighting the AD is the development of neuro-protective agents, able to interfere with the protein aggregation process whose clinical signature is represented by the plaques deposition. An important role in AD’s framework could be played by Heat shock proteins (HSPs), highly regulated proteins that mediate the proteins proper folding and promote recovery of their native conformation…

A close connection: Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes

2012

In the recent years a growing body of evidence links insulin resistance and insulin action to neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The importance of insulin in ageing as well as its role in cognition and other aspects of normal brain functions are well established. The hippocampus and cerebral cortex-distributed insulin and insulin receptor (IR) have been shown to be involved in brain cognitive functions. Conversely, deterioration of IR signaling is involved in agingrelated brain degeneration such as in AD and cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes patients. Insulin administration, while maintaining euglycemia, improves memory in both healthy adults and Alzheime…

Comparison of Right Ventricular Longitudinal Strain Imaging, Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion, and Cardiac Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis o…

2010

Objectives: The aim was to determine the role of assessing right ventricular (RV) function, using standard echocardiography and Doppler myocardial imaging (DMI), in the early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and in prediction of mortality. Methods: A total of 249 patients with AL amyloidosis were categorized on the basis of left ventricular thickness and E' velocity, and compared to 38 age- and sex-matched controls. Standard echocardiographic parameters of RV function were assessed, and longitudinal systolic myocardial velocity, strain rate (sSR), and strain (sS) were determined for the basal and middle RV free wall segments. Patients were followed for the endpoint of mortality. Result…