Journal
JOURNAL OF NEUROIMMUNOLOGY
Volume 197, Issue 1, Pages 70-73Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2008.03.021
Keywords
chitin; glucosamine; chitotriosidase; multiple sclerosis; Alzheimer's disease; immunohistochemistry
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Chitin is an insoluble N-acetyl-glucosamine polymer coating fungi cell wall and several human parasites. It is hydrolysed by chitotriosidase (Chit); however, as chitin is absent in humans, the significance of human Chit activity is unknown. The level of plasma Chit activity positively correlates with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). A recent study revealed the presence of potentially detrimental chitin-like substances in AD brain by Calcofluor histochemistry, whilst its search in MS brains has never been described to date. Through a comparative immunohistochemical analysis we confirm the presence of abundant chitin-like deposition in AD brains but fail to demonstrate it in MS brains. Interestingly, co-localization of beta-amyloid, Calcofluor and the nuclear marker DAPI was observed. Therefore, Chit production in MS patients is induced by mechanisms other than those operating in AD. Microglia-derived Chit activity in MS may counterbalance the naturally occurring glucosamine aggregation, protecting the brain from the chitin-like substance deposition. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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