Precipitation and characterization of an aluminosilicate from AlCl3-Na2SiO3-HCl in serum, of interest for Alzheimer disease.

A precipitation experiment was performed with human serum to model aluminosilicate formation in brains of patients with Alzheimer disease. Aluminum and (or) silicate ions were added to serum in a 1:2 molar ratio at pH 7.4. Precipitates formed immediately and were left for 24 h at 37 degrees C before filtration. Silicate and aluminosilicate formed precipitates with human serum proteins albumin, transferrin, and IgG. In untreated samples, the IgG/albumin ratio increased slightly compared with the ratio in dried serum. Diethylbarbiturate-washed precipitates had a significantly lower protein content than did untreated ones. The IgG/albumin ratio increased considerably in the sample containing aluminosilicate. We conclude that IgG is the sodium dodecyl sulfate-soluble human protein most firmly bound to the aluminosilicate matrix. From 27Al magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), a pronounced peak was found at 52.79 ppm and a minor peak at 0.53 ppm, suggesting that 4-coordinated aluminum predominates and that 6-coordinated aluminum is present in a smaller proportion. The 29Si MAS NMR spectrum shows a poorly ordered structure. The aluminosilicate formed also contains the cations Na+ > K+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ and anions Cl- > PO4(3-). Rather than looking for aluminum toxicity to explain the effects of Alzheimer disease, one should consider that by precipitating such a composite phase, the balance of cations, anions, and proteins in human serum is changing.