Home › Research › Inflammation and the immune system
Differential relationships of reactive astrocytes and microglia to fibrillar amyloid deposits in Alzheimer disease
Serrano-Pozo A, Muzikansky A, Gómez-Isla T, Growdon JH, Betensky RA, Frosch MP, Hyman BT.. Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology, 2013-06-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Although it is clear that astrocytes and microglia cluster around dense-core amyloid plaques in Alzheimer disease (AD), whether they are primarily attracted to amyloid deposits or are just reacting to plaque-associated neuritic damage remains elusive. We postulate that astrocytes and microglia may differentially respond to fibrillar amyloid β. Therefore, we quantified the size distribution of dense-core thioflavin-S (ThioS)-positive plaques in the temporal neocortex of 40 AD patients and the microglial and astrocyte responses in their vicinity (≤50 μm) and performed correlations between both measures.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Serrano-Pozo, A., Muzikansky, A., Gómez-Isla, T., Growdon, J. H., Betensky, R. A., Frosch, M. P., et al. (2013). Differential relationships of reactive astrocytes and microglia to fibrillar amyloid deposits in Alzheimer disease. Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology. https://doi.org/10.1097/nen.0b013e3182933788
Vancouver
Serrano-Pozo A, Muzikansky A, Gómez-Isla T, Growdon JH, Betensky RA, Frosch MP, et al. Differential relationships of reactive astrocytes and microglia to fibrillar amyloid deposits in Alzheimer disease. Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology. 2013. doi:10.1097/nen.0b013e3182933788. PMID: 23656989.
BibTeX
@article{serranopozo2013-23656989,
author = {Serrano-Pozo, A. and Muzikansky, A. and Gómez-Isla, T. and Growdon, J. H. and Betensky, R. A. and Frosch, M. P. and Hyman, B. T.},
title = {{Differential relationships of reactive astrocytes and microglia to fibrillar amyloid deposits in Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1097/nen.0b013e3182933788},
pmid = {23656989},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/nen.0b013e3182933788}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- We postulate that astrocytes and microglia may differentially respond to fibrillar amyloid β.
- Therefore, we quantified the size distribution of dense-core thioflavin-S (ThioS)-positive plaques in the temporal neocortex of 40 AD patients and the microglial and astrocyte responses in their vicinity (≤50 μm) and performed correlations between both measures.
- As expected, both astrocytes and microglia were clearly spatially associated with ThioS-positive plaques (p = 0.0001, ≤50 μm vs. >50 μm from their edge), but their relationship to ThioS-positive plaque size differed: larger ThioS-positive plaques were associated with more surrounding activated microglia (p = 0.0026), but this effect was not observed with reactive astrocytes.
- Microglial response to dense-core plaques seems to be proportional to their size, which we postulate reflects a chemotactic effect of amyloid β.
Why it matters
This study examined brain tissue from 40 Alzheimer's patients and found that both astrocytes and microglia cluster around dense-core amyloid plaques, with different patterns of response. It describes brain pathology but does not test or report any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported 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 | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| 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 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| 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 | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 226 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.1 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 12 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 59 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Bradley T. Hyman: h-index 190 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23656989) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1097/nen.0b013e3182933788
- PubMed: 23656989
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 17.
Later studies that cite this one
12 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Inflammation and the immune system
Also tagged “precursor”
1,337 studies in the library carry the topic tag “precursor”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,337 tagged studies.