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Published on: May 18, 2010
Involvement of the subplate zone in preterm infants with periventricular white matter injury
Ivana Pogledic1, Ivica Kostovic, Catherine Fallet-Bianco
1Inserm U676, Paris; Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Zagreb.
Insights
Periventricular white matter injury (PWMI) in preterm infants involves the cortical subplate. Gliosis in the subplate, particularly in non-cystic PWMI, highlights its vulnerability during early development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatric Pathology
Background:
- Periventricular white matter injury (PWMI) is a significant concern in preterm infants.
- The transient cortical subplate zone's role in PWMI is increasingly recognized.
- Understanding glial responses in PWMI is crucial for diagnosing and managing brain injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate glial cell responses in the cortical wall, including the subplate, in non-cystic and cystic PWMI.
- To analyze age-related differences in glial activation in very preterm and preterm infants with PWMI.
- To compare glial cell populations in PWMI cases with controls.
Main Methods:
- Post-mortem human frontal lobe tissue analysis from very preterm (24–29 pcw) and preterm (30–34 pcw) infants.
- Immunohistochemistry for glial markers: GFAP (astrocytes), Iba1 and CD68 (microglia), and Olig2 (oligodendrocytes).
- Comparison of glial cell distribution and activation in non-cystic PWMI, cystic PWMI, and controls.
Main Results:
- Glial activation extended into the subplate in non-cystic PWMI, but was confined to white matter in cystic PWMI.
- In very preterm infants with non-cystic PWMI, increased activated microglia were found in the subplate.
- In preterm infants with non-cystic PWMI, astroglial activation occurred in the subplate and cortical plate.
- No significant differences in pre-oligodendrocytes (Olig2+) were observed in the subplate between PWMI cases and controls.
Conclusions:
- Gliosis in the deep subplate in PWMI cases supports the concept of subplate vulnerability during the preterm period.
- These findings may explain widespread magnetic resonance signal changes observed in early PWMI.
- The study highlights complex age-related glial responses in the developing brain following white matter injury.
Abstract:
Studies of periventricular white matter injury (PWMI) in preterm infants suggest the involvement of the transient cortical subplate zone. We studied the cortical wall of noncystic and cystic PWMI cases and controls. Non-cystic PWMI corresponded to diffuse white matter lesions, the predominant injury currently detected by imaging. Glial cell populations were analyzed in post-mortem human frontal lobes from very preterm [24–29 postconceptional weeks (pcw)] and preterm infants (30–34 pcw) using immunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), monocarboxylate transporter 1(MCT1), ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1), CD68 and oligodendrocyte lineage (Olig2). Glial activation extended into the subplate in non-cystic PWMI but was restricted to the white matter in cystic PWMI. Two major age-related and laminar differences were observed in non-cystic PWMI: in very preterm cases, activated microglial cells were increased and extended into the subplate adjacent to the lesion, whereas in preterm cases, an astroglial reaction was seen not only in the subplate but throughout the cortical plate. There were no differences in Olig2-positive pre-oligodendrocytes in the subplate inPWMI cases compared with controls. The involvement of gliosis in the deep subplate supports the concept of the complex cellular vulnerability of the subplate zone during the preterm period and may explain widespread changes in magnetic resonance signal intensity in early PWMI.
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