title: Biopathology of the dentate-olivary complex in sudden unexplained perinatal death and sudden infant death syndrome related to maternal cigarette smoking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was aimed to evaluate the possible presence of cytohistologic and/or biologic modifications of the human dentate-olivary complex in sudden unexplained perinatal and infant deaths.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the histologic morphology of the dentate and inferior olivary nuclei, the glial index, the c-fos and apoptotic immunopositivity, as well as the possible effects elicited by maternal cigarette smoking, in 44 cases of perinatal and infant death victims, aged from the 26th gestational week to 10 months of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed subtle alterations of both the medullary inferior olivary nucleus and of the cerebellar dentate nucleus, represented by a significant increase in the reactive astrocyte density and in the neuronal c-fos and apoptotic expression in unexplained death victims, compared with age-matched controls. These alterations were closely related to a maternal cigarette smoking habit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We postulate that maternal smoking, besides inducing the previously demonstrated morpho-functional alterations of the autonomic central nervous system, could also exert an adverse influence on the dentate-olivary complex, leading to sudden death in vulnerable periods of perinatal development or early infancy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Lino Rossi Research Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. anna.lavezzi@unimi.it
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lavezzi
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ottaviani
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mauri
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matturri
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002529:Cerebellar Nuclei / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005333:Fetus; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos