进行性核上性麻痹和皮质基底节变性的胶质细胞病变的观察

目的 观察进行性核上性麻痹和皮质基底节变性胶质细胞变性特征,探讨不同类型胶质细胞变性的病理意义。方法 对具有详细临床资料和病理确诊的2例进行性核上性麻痹和3例皮质基底节变性的脑标本进行了Gallyas—Braak银染色和tau蛋白免疫组织化学链霉素抗生物素蛋白-过氧化物酶法染色,并以5例阿尔茨海默病,4例帕金森病和6例无神经疾病史的同龄老年人脑标本作对照。结果 Gallyas-Braak银染色显示进行性核上性麻痹和皮质基底节变性的脑组织内存在广泛分布的两种形态胶质细胞变性,即呈菊花团或蜘蛛网样形态的葱状星形细胞和位于核周线圈样或逗点样形状的线团样少突胶质细胞变性。葱状星形细胞主要见于额顶叶皮层,基底节和脑干灰质区,而线团样少突胶质细胞则主要分布于基底节,脑干和小脑白质束内。星形细胞斑是由粗短的突起样结构呈放射状排列形成,仅见于皮质基底节变性的额、顶叶皮层和纹状体区。这3种类型胶质细胞变性的tau蛋白免疫组织化学染色均为阳性。所有对照病例脑组织内未见上述形态的胶质细胞变性改变。结论 葱状星形细胞和线团样少突胶质细胞变性是进行性核上性麻痹和皮质基底节变性的共同的组织学改变特征之一;星形细胞斑是皮质基底节变性相对特异性的病理标志。

Glial abnormalities in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration

OBJECTIVE: To study pathologic features of glial cells in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and to explore their pathologic significance. METHODS: Brain tissues from 2 cases with PSP and 3 cases with CBD, all confirmed by autopsies, were examined by routine neuropathologic methods, Gallyas-Braak staining and tau immunostaining. Brain tissues from 6 Alzheimer's disease cases, 4 cases with Parkinson's disease and 6 elderly with no neurologic abnormality were used as controls. RESULTS: Gallyas-Braak staining demonstrated tuft-shaped astrocytes and coiled-body oligodendroglial cells in the brain tissues of 2 cases with PSP and 3 cases with CBD. The tuft-shaped astrocytes appeared prominently in the frontal and parietal cortex, basal ganglia and grey matter of the brainstem. The coiled-body oligodendroglial cells were distributed widely in the white matter of the frontal and parietal lobes, basal ganglia, brainstem and cerebellum. However, astrocytic plaques, composed of degenerative stubby processes with radiating arrangement, only appeared in the frontal, parietal and cingular cortex, as well as in the striatum of 3 cases with CBD. The astrocytic plaques and tuft-shaped astrocytes coexisted in the same areas, including parietal and cingular cortex and striatum, in CBD. All these glial abnormalities showed tau-positive immunoreaction not found in control cases. CONCLUSIONS: The tuft-shaped astrocytes and coiled-body oligodendroglial cells are common glial morphologic features of both PSP and CBD. Astrocytic plaques are also characteristically seen in CBD.