TDP-43 immunohistochemistry reveals extensive neuritic pathology in FTLD-U: a Midwest-Southwest Consortium for FTLD study

Abstract

TDP-43 is a major component of the inclusions in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitinated inclusions (FTLD-U). We studied TDP-43-pathology in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of autopsy brains with FTLD-U (n=68), dementia lacking distinctive histopathology (n=4), other neurodegenerative diseases (n=23), and controls (n=12). A marked enhancement of TDP-43positive dystrophic neurites (DN) was obtained by using a sensitive immunohistochemistry protocol. Two previously unrecognized patterns of pathology were observed: frequent long DN in the CA1 region and frequent dot-like DN in the neocortical layer II, which were seen in 39% and 15% of the FTLD-U cases, respectively. Four FTLD-U cases showed no TDP-43 pathology and were reclassified as FTLD-U, non-TDP-43 proteinopathy. Frequent long DN, but not dot-like DN, were significantly associated with progranulin mutations. Three of the DLDH cases were reclassified as FTLD-U. Of the cases with other neurodegenerative diseases, 43% showed TDP-43-pathology in the hippocampus but only 4% in the frontal cortex. No TDP-43-pathology was seen in controls. These results indicate that the sensitivity of the TDP-43 immunohistochemistry method affects both the quantity of the pathology and the types of pathology that can be detected. Involvement of both the hippocampus and frontal cortex may be a diagnostically important feature in FTLD-U. KeywordsFrontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitinated inclusions; frontotemporal lobar degeneration with motor neuron disease; dementia lacking distinctive histopathology; progranulin; TAR DNAbinding protein 43; dystrophic neurites; autopsy; immunohistochemistry