Proteomic analysis of the brain in Alzheimer's disease: molecular phenotype of a complex disease process

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder accounting for about 50% of all dementias, yet its pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. In order to provide a more complete picture of pathogenesis in AD, we analysed six human brain regions for alterations in their proteomes. Quantitative proteome analysis was used to compare signals corresponding to individual proteins between post mortem brain tissues from persons with AD, and those from age-matched nondemented control (NC) tissues. In severely injured brain regions, 76 proteins were differentially expressed in AD hippocampus compared with NC, 62 proteins were differentially expressed in temporal cortex, and 39 proteins were differentially expressed in entorhinal cortex. Significant differences were also present in relatively spared regions. Thus, 34 proteins were differentially expressed in AD cerebellum compared with NC, 125 proteins were differentially expressed in cingulate gyrus, and 75 proteins were differentially expressed in sensorimotor cortex. The identity of 37 of these proteins was determined, and the possible relevance of changes in key pathogenic pathways analysed. These studies provide a unique snapshot illustrating the complexity of interrelated disease mechanisms at work in a complex, multifactorial disease, and show that comparative proteome analysis is a method with the power to develop important new insights into pathogenic mechanisms in the dementias.