Increased expression of the TIAR protein in the hippocampus of Alzheimer patients

T-cell restricted intracellular antigen related protein (TIAR) is an RNA-binding protein that is supposed to be involved in the process of stress-induced apoptosis. TIAR triggers DNA fragmentation in permeabilized thymocytes and its expression diminishes in the cell nucleus and rises simultaneously in the cytoplasm during Fas-induced cell death. Using a monoclonal antibody against TIAR, we stained different areas of the hippocampus from seven controls and 14 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). There was a clear expression of TIAR in the hippocampus of non-demented controls. Surprisingly, a significant increase was found in the expression of TIAR in the hippocampal area in AD. The increased expression of TIAR in AD may be related to the process of neurodegeneration in the hippocampus.