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Neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy: antigenic similarities and differences. Microtubule-associated protein tau antigenicity is prominent in all types of tangles
Bancher C, Lassmann H, Budka H, Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K, Wiche G, Seitelberger F, Wisniewski HM.. Acta neuropathologica, 1987-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The antigenic profile of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and in non-demented aged humans was investigated by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry using antisera and monoclonal antibodies to tubulin, microtubule-associated proteins (MAP1, MAP2 and tau), neurofilament proteins and determinants unique to Alzheimer paired helical filaments (PHF). Antibodies to tau proteins labeled NFT in all cases investigated (AD, SDAT, PSP and non-demented aged humans). However, one monoclonal antibody to PHF recognized numerous tangles in AD/SDAT, but only a small minority of the PSP tangles. Antibodies to tubulin, MAP1, MAP2 and neurofilament proteins did not selectively stain NFT. Whereas pretreatment of sections with phosphatase was required for the detection of tangles with Tau-1 monoclonal antibody, digestion of sections with either phosphatase or pronase had no significant effect on the staining pattern obtained with the other antibodies. Our studies show that, as previously described for AD/SDAT, phosphorylated tau polypeptides are also a major antigenic determinant of tangles in PSP, indicating that tangle formation may follow a common pathogenetic pathway in neurofibrillary degenerations. There is, however, at least one epitope in AD/SDAT tangles which seems to be absent on, or at least inaccessible in, the 15-nm straight fibrils of PSP.
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APA 7th
Bancher, C., Lassmann, H., Budka, H., Grundke-Iqbal, I., Iqbal, K., Wiche, G., et al. (1987). Neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy: antigenic similarities and differences. Microtubule-associated protein tau antigenicity is prominent in all types of tangles. Acta neuropathologica. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00688336
Vancouver
Bancher C, Lassmann H, Budka H, Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K, Wiche G, et al. Neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy: antigenic similarities and differences. Microtubule-associated protein tau antigenicity is prominent in all types of tangles. Acta neuropathologica. 1987. doi:10.1007/bf00688336. PMID: 2444063.
BibTeX
@article{bancher1987-2444063,
author = {Bancher, C. and Lassmann, H. and Budka, H. and Grundke-Iqbal, I. and Iqbal, K. and Wiche, G. and Seitelberger, F. and Wisniewski, H. M.},
title = {{Neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy: antigenic similarities and differences. Microtubule-associated protein tau antigenicity is prominent in all types of tangles}},
journal = {Acta neuropathologica},
year = {1987},
doi = {10.1007/bf00688336},
pmid = {2444063},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00688336}
}
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 8 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
- Whereas pretreatment of sections with phosphatase was required for the detection of tangles with Tau-1 monoclonal antibody, digestion of sections with either phosphatase or pronase had no significant effect on the staining pattern obtained with the other antibodies.
Why it matters
This laboratory study found that phosphorylated tau is a major component of neurofibrillary tangles in both Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, though at least one tangle feature differs between them. It is basic brain tissue research and does not provide a treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a leading specialty 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 | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Acta neuropathologica) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Acta Neuropathologica: journal h-index 287 (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 | 1987 — 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 133 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.2 citations a year over 41 year(s) since 1987 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Henryk M. Wisniewski: h-index 30 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Vienna: institution h-index 851 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 2444063) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
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Later studies that cite this one
2 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
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