Acute phase proteins are present in amorphous plaques in the cerebral but not in the cerebellar cortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Using immunohistochemical staining for beta-amyloid proteins in the brains of Alzheimer patients two basic types of plaques can be found: 'amorphous' or 'diffuse' non-congophilic plaques and classical plaques. Acute phase proteins alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, complement factors and P-component ('plaque-associated molecules') have been reported in both types of plaques in the cerebral cortex. In the present study we could not find immunoreactivity for these acute phase proteins in the amorphous plaques in the cerebellar cortex. These proteins seem to be essential for formation of classical plaques.