Article

Cerebellar axon/myelin loss, angiogenic sprouting, and neuronal increase of vascular endothelial growth factor in a preterm infant with kernicterus.

Research Institute for Medicines and Pharmaceutical Sciences (iMed.UL) and Department of Biochemistry and Human Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Journal of child neurology (impact factor: 1.59). 12/2011; 27(5):615-24. DOI:10.1177/0883073811423975
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT We performed histologic and immunohistochemical analysis of cerebellar sections from a preterm infant (32 weeks 5 days) dead on the 4th day of life with the diagnosis of kernicterus and compared the results with 1 age-matched nonicteric patient. Poorer Luxol fast blue-periodic acid Schiff and Bodian-Luxol fast blue stainings as well as neurofilament expression were observed in the kernicterus case, indicating loss of axon neurites and myelin fibers. Elevated claudin-5 and cluster of differentiation 34 expression associated with increased blood vessel density suggests bilirubin-induced angiogenic sprouting. Upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor 2 was observed in nucleus dentatus and Purkinje neurons. Although upregulation of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 was increased in cerebellar neurons, it was not able to prevent bilirubin-induced neurotoxicity. These data add new insights into the pathophysiology of kernicterus, revealing vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor 2, as well as angiogenic sprouting, as new players in neurologic damage by unconjugated bilirubin.

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Keywords

1 age-matched nonicteric patient
 
32 weeks 5 days
 
4th day
 
Bodian-Luxol fast blue stainings
 
cerebellar sections
 
differentiation 34 expression
 
Elevated claudin-5
 
histologic
 
kernicterus
 
kernicterus case
 
multidrug resistance-associated protein 1
 
myelin fibers
 
neurofilament expression
 
neurologic damage
 
Poorer Luxol fast blue-periodic acid Schiff
 
preterm infant
 
Purkinje neurons
 
revealing vascular endothelial growth factor
 
upregulation
 
vascular endothelial growth factor