Elsevier

Pediatric Neurology

Volume 14, Issue 1, January 1996, Pages 13-16
Pediatric Neurology

Original article
Immunohistochemical expression of tumor necrosis factor α in neonatal leukomalacia

https://doi.org/10.1016/0887-8994(95)00223-5Get rights and content

Abstract

The expression of tumor necrosis factor ot (TNFα) was examined in infants with leukomalacia by means of immunohistochemical methods with an antihuman TNFα monoclonal antibody. We studied 23 patients with neonatal leukomalacia, classified as having “focal,” “widespread,” or “diffuse” disease according to the distribution of the lesions, and 18 age-matched controls. TNFα immunoreactivity was positive in 19 of the 23 (83 %) patients with leukomalacia, and in 7 of the 18 (39%) controls. TNFα was expressed mainly in glial cells in the deep white matter in both groups, and was most abundant around the necrotic foci in the focal group. TNFα immunoreactivity appeared earlier in patients with leukomalacia than in controls, being first detected at 25 and 29 weeks gestation, respectively. Immunofluorescence double-labeling revealed the TNFα-immunoreactive cells were Ricinus communis agglutinin-1 (RCA-1)-positive microglial cells. Thus, our study revealed increasing expression of TNFα in the normally developing brain during the late fetal period, and overproduction of TNFα by microglial cells associated with the pathogenesis of neonatal leukomalacia.

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