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36/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 36 out of 100. Biomarkers

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

While apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and beta-amyloid (A beta) co-localize in senile plaques in cortex and cerebellum in Alzheimer disease (AD), the A beta-positive, predominantly diffuse plaques in the striatum do not exhibit ApoE immunoreactivity regardless of disease duration. As astrocytes are a major source of ApoE in the brain, we investigated potential regional differences in the ability of astrocytes to produce ApoE that might affect A beta processing and the progression of AD pathology. Using antibodies to ApoE, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and A beta, we compared the pattern of immunoreactivity in senile plaques in AD autopsy tissue with that of reactive astrocytes surrounding subacute and old infarcts in both AD and non-AD cases. We found GFAP and ApoE immunoreactivity, but not A beta label in cell bodies and processes of reactive astrocytes in zones of infarction within cerebral cortex, striatum, and cerebellum, indicating that astrocytes are capable of upregulating ApoE within these 3 regions. In contrast, while astrocytes surrounded many neocortical neuritic plaques in AD, these GFAP-positive cells failed to label with ApoE; instead. ApoE label within plaques paralleled that of A beta. As expected, neither the ApoE-negative diffuse plaques of the striatum nor the ApoE-immunopositive diffuse plaques of the cerebellum were clearly associated with GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes. The apparent absence of ApoE label in cortical plaque-associated astrocytes may signify a regulatory mechanism affecting ApoE synthesis and secretion, influenced by binding of ApoE to fibrillar amyloid within the plaques, neuritic changes, or other factors.

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APA 7th

Shao, Y., Gearing, M., & Mirra, S. S. (1997). Astrocyte-apolipoprotein E associations in senile plaques in Alzheimer disease and vascular lesions: a regional immunohistochemical study. Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005072-199704000-00006

Vancouver

Shao Y, Gearing M, Mirra SS. Astrocyte-apolipoprotein E associations in senile plaques in Alzheimer disease and vascular lesions: a regional immunohistochemical study. Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology. 1997. doi:10.1097/00005072-199704000-00006. PMID: 9100668.

BibTeX

@article{shao1997-9100668,
  author  = {Shao, Y. and Gearing, M. and Mirra, S. S.},
  title   = {{Astrocyte-apolipoprotein E associations in senile plaques in Alzheimer disease and vascular lesions: a regional immunohistochemical study}},
  journal = {Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology},
  year    = {1997},
  doi     = {10.1097/00005072-199704000-00006},
  pmid    = {9100668},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1097/00005072-199704000-00006}
}

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Key findings

We found GFAP and ApoE immunoreactivity, but not A beta label in cell bodies and processes of reactive astrocytes in zones of infarction within cerebral cortex, striatum, and cerebellum, indicating that astrocytes are capable of upregulating ApoE within these 3 regions.
As expected, neither the ApoE-negative diffuse plaques of the striatum nor the ApoE-immunopositive diffuse plaques of the cerebellum were clearly associated with GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes.

Why it matters

In autopsy brain tissue, reactive astrocytes around infarcts produced apolipoprotein E, but astrocytes around neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease did not label with apolipoprotein E, and plaque apolipoprotein E followed beta-amyloid instead. This is a tissue study describing where apolipoprotein E appears in the brain and does not test any treatment, cure or prevention.

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Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 36/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology: journal h-index 239 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	0 / 12	No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Strength of evidence	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	1997 — older than 20 years, still counted
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	4 / 7	Cited 41 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	1 / 5	1.3 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997
Impact for its field and year	1 / 6	Cited 0.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	1 / 6	Cited by 1 other studies in this library
Still being cited	1 / 4	Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Suzanne Samuels Mirra: h-index 53 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Emory University: institution h-index 1,360 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9100668)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	36 / 100	—

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