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Immunohistochemical expression of Trk receptor proteins in focal cortical dysplasia with intractable epilepsy
Author(s) -
Shunji Nishio,
Takato Morioka,
Y. Hamada,
Kei Hisada,
Masashi Fukui
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
neuropathology and applied neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.538
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1365-2990
pISSN - 0305-1846
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2990.1999.00180.x
Subject(s) - cortical dysplasia , neocortex , trk receptor , neurotrophin , tropomyosin receptor kinase a , pathology , tropomyosin receptor kinase b , epilepsy , neuroscience , immunohistochemistry , cortex (anatomy) , epileptogenesis , cerebral cortex , biology , receptor , neurotrophic factors , medicine
Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), which is often associated with intractable epilepsy, is a form of abnormal structure of the cerebral cortex caused by a disorder of normal neocortical development. In such cerebral lesions obtained from four patients (two male, two female; average age 32.3 years at operation), the immunohistochemical expression of Trk receptors, which interact with neurotrophins and result in both growth and maturational changes in neuronal cells, was investigated in relation to the possible histogenesis of these lesions. In all cases, a derangement of the cortical laminar structure, dysplastic cytomegalic neurones, and large round balloon cells were the characteristic histological features. Immunohistochemically, the TrkA expression was localized in large dysplastic cytomegalic neurones, and TrkB expression was observed in large dysplastic and relatively small neuronal cells within the affected cortex. Although the exact roles of neurotrophins and their receptors in the pathogenesis of FCD remain uncertain, its development might be governed by such neurotrophic influences, and thus possibly prevent the death of abnormal neuronal cells. In addition, Trk receptors in FCDs may also play a role in establishing in the intrinsic epileptogenicity of FCDs.