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Brain tissue aspiration neural tube defect.
Luiz Cesar Peres1, Gustavo Henrique T de Sales Barbosa
1Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. lcperes@fmrp.com.br
Arquivos De Neuro-Psiquiatria
|September 21, 2005
Summary
Brain tissue aspiration into the lungs is infrequent in human neural tube defect cases. Researchers found glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive cells in only one case, with no heterotopic brain tissue observed in the lungs.
Area of Science:
- Neuropathology
- Pulmonary Pathology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Neural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital abnormalities with significant impact.
- Amniotic fluid contents, including fetal tissues, can be aspirated by the fetus.
- The presence of brain tissue in fetal lungs is not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency of brain tissue aspiration in human fetuses and newborns with NTDs.
- To determine if heterotopic brain tissue can be found in the lungs of these cases.
- To utilize GFAP immunostaining for identifying neural tissue.
Main Methods:
- Histological examination of lung tissue from 22 fetuses and newborns with NTDs.
- Immunohistochemical staining using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) to detect neural cells.
- Analysis of various NTD diagnoses including craniorachischisis and anencephaly.
Main Results:
- Only one case (4.5%) showed GFAP-positive cells within bronchioles and alveoli, mixed with amniotic squames.
- No evidence of heterotopic brain tissue was found in the lung interstitium across all samples.
- The study included a diverse group of NTDs, with craniorachischisis and anencephaly being most common.
Conclusions:
- Aspiration of brain tissue into the lungs can occur in NTD cases but appears to be infrequent.
- Heterotopic brain tissue was not observed in the lung interstitium in this cohort.
- GFAP immunostaining is a useful marker for detecting neural elements in lung tissue.