The correlation between tau protein in the brainstem and sleep apnea in SIDS victims.
BACKGROUND
Recently, it has been reported that neuronal plasticity in the brainstem arousal pathway is related to the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Tau protein may contribute to axonal development and neural plasticity; therefore, the correlation between tau protein in the brainstem and sleep apnea in SIDS was investigated here.


METHODS
Among 27,000 infants studied prospectively to characterize their sleep-wake behavior, 38 infants died under 6 months of age, including 26 cases of SIDS. The frequency and duration of sleep apnea were analyzed on all the infants, having been recorded during one night in a pediatric sleep laboratory some 3-12 weeks before death. The brainstem material was collected and immunohistochemistry of tau was carried out. The density of tau-positive elements was measured semiquantitatively. Correlation analyses were carried out between the density of tau-positive elements and the data of sleep apnea.


RESULTS
In the 26 SIDS cases, tau-positive findings were observed in the sub-pia mater in two cases, in the colloid plexus in one case, in the ependyma and subependyma in five cases, in neurons in two cases and as a general diffusion in one case. In 12 control cases, tau-positive findings were observed in the sub-pia mater in one case and in neuronal elements in three cases. No correlation was found on analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no correlation between the finding of tau in the brainstem of SIDS victims and the incidence of sleep apnea.
Sawaguchi
Toshiko
T
Department of Legal Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan. tsawagu@research.twmu.ac.jp
Patricia
Franco
F
Kadhim
Hazim
H
Groswasser
Jose
J
Sottiaux
Martine
M
Nishida
Hiroshi
H
Kahn
Andre
A
D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D017286:Polysomnography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016683:Supine Position; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D016875:tau Proteins