Changes in adhesion efficiency and vimentin distribution of fibroblasts from familial Alzheimer's disease patients.

Cultured fibroblasts from familial Alzheimer's disease patients were characterized. Familial Alzheimer fibroblasts showed the same appearance by phase microscopy and the same growth rate with the control fibroblasts cultured from the age-matched healthy control subjects. Fibroblasts cultured from familial Alzheimer's disease patients showed decreased efficiency in adhesion to substrata in limited periods. While 80% of the control fibroblasts finished adhesion within 30 minutes incubation, only 30% of Alzheimer fibroblasts completed adhesion within the same period. When fibroblasts from familial Alzheimer's disease were kept under serum-free media more than ten days, they showed a unique aberration of vimentin fiber distribution, while other cytoskeletal fibers were remained intact. It is indicated that fibroblasts cultured from patients with familial Alzheimer's disease can be used to study pathological processes which affect the cytoskeletal organization in the fibroblasts as well as in the cells of the central nervous system.