Diagnostic methods for Alzheimer's disease by detection of multiple mRNAs

Abstract

Methods of detecting RNA in brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease are provided. Methods of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease by detection of these RNAs are also provided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of identifying senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads in brain tissue comprising: 
 (a) contacting brain tissue with a fluorescent dye capable of intercalating selectively into nucleic acids; and    (b) detecting any fluorescence in the brain tissue indicative of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads in the brain tissue.    
     
     
         2 . A method of identifying RNAs in senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuropil threads of brain tissue which encode proteins involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease comprising: 
 (a) isolating single senile plaques in brain tissue by immunocytochemical techniques;    (b) identifying the presence of RNA by contacting said senile plaque with a fluorescent dye capable of intercalating selectively into nucleic acids;    (c) amplifying the identified RNA; and    (d) determining whether the amplified RNA product hybridizes to any known cDNAs for proteins involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.    
     
     
         3 . A method of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in a patient suspected of having Alzheimer's disease comprising detecting the presence of an RNA identified by the method of  claim 2  in the brain of the patient.  
     
     
         4 . A method of detecting the presence of messenger RNA in senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuropil threads of brain tissue wherein said messenger RNA encodes a protein involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease comprising: 
 a) isolating single senile plaques in brain tissue by immunocytochemical methods;    b) identifying the presence of RNA by contacting said senile plaque with a fluorescent dye capable of intercalating selectively into nucleic acids;    c) amplifying said RNA; and    d) hybridizing the amplified RNA product to a known cDNA for a protein involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.