Fig. 1

Capillary associated Aβ34 immunoreactivity is reduced in Alzheimer’s disease patients and inversely correlated with both amyloid and tau. a Double immunostaining of vascular marker, Lectin (green), and Aβ34 (red) in human post-mortem brain. Merged image shows magnification of the dashed area. (Scale bar 10 μm) b Representative images of double immunostaining of basement membrane marker, Collagen IV (green) and Aβ34 (red) in a non-demented control and an AD patient for quantification of capillary Aβ34 immunoreactivity. In each visual field number of Aβ34+ vessels divided by total number of vessels (diameter < 10 μm) (calculated with Collagen IV immunostaining) and results reported as percentage of Aβ34+ vessels. (Scale bar 10 μm) c Braak-stage distribution for % of Aβ34+ vessels in hippocampus and cortex. Graphs represent individual values and mean with standard deviation (SD). d Diagnosis-based distribution of % of Aβ34+ vessels in hippocampus and cortex. Graphs represent individual values and mean with SD. **** (p < 0.001) was determined by a two-tailed unpaired student’s t test. e Correlation of %Aβ34+ vessels with amyloid plaque load in hippocampus and cortex. Amyloid plaque load was calculated by using % area covered by immunostaining of N-terminal anti-amyloid (clone W02) antibody. For hippocampus Pearson’s correlation (α = 0.05, CI 95%, two-tailed) and for cortex Spearman’s correlation were (α = 0.05, CI 95%, two-tailed) used. f Correlation of %Aβ34+ vessels with tau tangles in hippocampus and cortex. Tau+ area was calculated by using % area covered by anti-tau (clone AT8) antibody. Correlations were calculated using Spearman’s correlation (α = 0.05, CI 95%, two-tailed)