page_title: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy
section_title: Causes
hierarchical_section_title: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy / Causes
caption_attribution_description: English: An astrocyte cell grown in tissue culture stained with antibodies to GFAP and vimentin. The GFAP is coupled to a red fluorescent dye and the vimentin is coupled to a green fluorescent dye. Both proteins are present in large amounts in the intermediate filaments of this cell, so the cell appears yellow, the result of combining strong red and green signals. The blue signal is DNA revealed with DAPI, and shows the nucleus of the astrocyte and of other cells in this image. Image was captured on a confocal microscope in the EnCor Biotechnology laboratory.
context_page_description: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy, is a form of angiopathy in which amyloid beta peptide deposits in the walls of small to medium blood vessels of the central nervous system and meninges. The term congophilic is sometimes used because the presence of the abnormal aggregations of amyloid can be demonstrated by microscopic examination of brain tissue after staining with Congo red. The amyloid material is only found in the brain and as such the disease is not related to other forms of amyloidosis.
context_section_description: CAA has been identified as occurring either sporadically (generally in elderly populations) or in familial forms such as Flemish, Iowa, and Dutch types. In all cases, it is defined by the deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) in the leptomeningal and cerebral vessel walls. CAA occurring in the Flemish type has been observed to be linked to large dense-core plaques observed in this pedigree.
  The reason for increased deposition of Aβ in sporadic CAA is still unclear with both increased production of the peptide and abnormal clearance having been proposed as potential causes. Under normal physiology Aβ is cleared from the brain by four pathways: (1) endocytosis by astrocytes and microglial cells, (2) enzymatic degradation by neprilysin or insulysin (3) cleared by way of the blood brain barrier or (4) drained along periarterial spaces. Abnormalities in each of these identified clearance pathways have been linked to CAA.
  In familial forms of CAA, the cause of Aβ build up is likely due to increased production rather than poor clearance. Mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP), Presenilin (PS) 1 and PS2 genes can result in increased rates of cleavage of the APP into Aβ. An immune mechanism has also been proposed. apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε2 and ε4 are associated with increased risk of getting cerebral amyloid antipathy. The use of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy increases the risk of getting intracerebral haemorrhage in CAA.
caption: Astrocyte
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