title: Schwann cell GFAP expression increases in axonal neuropathies.
abstract: We studied the Schwann cell (SC) GFAP immunoreactivity in normal human peripheral nerves and in neuropathies of different origin. Immunofluorescence and immunocytochemistry were carried out on serial frozen sections of 58 peripheral nerve biopsies using monoclonal antibodies (mabs) antivimentin and anti GFAP, and antiserum anti S-100 and anti GFAP. To test the specificity of the mabs and antiserum used, proper competition controls on tissue sections of 2 selected cases, tissue cultures studies of human fibroblasts and immunoblotting of homogenates of human fibroblasts, 3 normal and 5 pathologic nerves were carried out. In order to evaluate a possible correlation between SC GFAP positivity and neuropathologic findings a quantitative study was performed, evaluating the SC GFAP reactivity in all the 58 cases, and relating the SC GFAP positivity to the index of nerve pathology (IP) in 9 selected cases, and to the percentage of teased fibers showing axonal degeneration or demyelination and remyelination in 25 representative cases. We demonstrate that in normal human sural nerves and in demyelinating neuropathies only a few scattered SC are recognized by the mabs or antiserum anti GFAP. On the contrary in axonal neuropathies the majority of SC gain the property to express intermediate filaments which show common antigenic properties with GFAP.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Mancardi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cadoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabaton
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schenone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zicca
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Martini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Damiani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zaccheo
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001369:Axons; D015415:Biomarkers; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000737:chemistry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000737:chemistry; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000737:chemistry; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015415:Biomarkers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007106:Immune Sera; D014746:Vimentin