title: Quantitation of medullary astrogliosis in sudden infant death syndrome.
abstract: One of the few relatively consistent pathologic observations in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is astrogliosis of the brain stem. Astrogliosis is a nonspecific reactive process and its cause in SIDS, although still uncertain, is postulated to be hypoxia-ischemia. In this study, the distribution of reactive astrocytes throughout the rostral-caudal extent of the medulla has been determined. Although astrogliosis was present throughout the length of the medulla, it reached a maximum at levels 50-75% of total length, with 0% at the pontomedullary junction. Counting every reactive astrocyte through serial sections of the medulla seems unwarranted in view of the nonspecificity of the astrocytic response. This report proposes a practical approach to the quantitation of reactive astrocytes in SIDS by examining a representative sample of medulla midway through its length.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), Hospital for Sick Children, Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D001253:Astrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005911:Gliosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000473:pathology*; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000473:pathology*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein