An immunohistochemical study of aldolase C in normal and neoplastic nervous tissues

Cellular localization of aldolase C isozyme was examined in the normal human brain and in nervous tissue tumors by the indirect immunoperoxidase method using an antibody to aldolase C. In normal brain tissues, staining was most prominent in astrocytes and Purkinje cells, although faint staining was also occasionally observed in some other neurons. Oligodendroglia and ependymal cells showed no distinct staining. The nervous tissue tumors we examined included 34 gliomas (ten astrocytomas and 24 anaplastic gliomas), 30 medulloblastomas, and seven neuronal tumors. Positive staining was observed in some gliomas, but not in the medulloblastomas and neuronal tumors examined. In gliomas, nine of ten astrocytomas and six of 24 anaplastic gliomas showed positive staining in their main constituent cells. In the remaining gliomas, most constituent cells were unstained or positive cells were only sporadically present. These findings indicated that aldolase C was expressed in some of astrocytic glioma cells as in the normal counterpart, more frequently in more differentiated form.