Selective loss of calbindin D28K-immunoreactive neurons in the cortical layer II in brains of Alzheimer's disease: a morphometric study.

To investigate the relationship between neuronal death and intracellular calcium homeostasis in brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), we quantitatively analyzed morphological changes of calbindin-immunoreactive neurons. Neuronal counts were made in the autopsy brains from 6 control and 6 AD patients. Calbindin-immunoreactive neurons were mainly distributed in cortical layer II and were selectively lost in the AD brains. Further, the number of calbindin-immunoreactive neurons showed a negative correlation with age in the control group. These findings strongly suggest that age-related reduction of calbindin-immunoreactive neurons may be exaggerated in AD brains and change in calcium homeostasis may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD.