Is phenotypic profile of alternative activation marker CD163 different in Alzheimer 's and Parkinson 's disease?
Increase in microglia's CD163 immunoreactivity was more significant in AD than PD, and association of CD163 immunoreactive microglia with Aβ plaques indicate microglia's attraction towards extracellular protein pathology, i.e. extracellular aggregates of Aβ as compared to intracellular Lewy Bodies in PD. Double staining with CD163 and CD68 might point towards their natural inclination to phagocytose plaques. Fibrinogen leakage and compromise of the blood brain barrier raise the possibility that these are not resident microglia, but systemic macrophages infiltrating the brain.
The results of this pilot study indicate that NGF is detectable in both the intimal and adventitial layers of the rat femoral vein and artery but not in the smooth muscle wall. These findings suggest that vein grafts could potentially promote nerve regeneration by supplying NGF to the injured nerve.