title: [Apoptosis and expression of Caspase 3 and Caspase 4 in neurocytes of refractory human temporal lobe epilepsy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study apoptosis and expression of Caspase 3 and Caspase 4 in temporal lobe neurocytes of refractory human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The temporal tissue samples were obtained from 30 cases of refractory TLE (TLE group) and 10 cases of brain trauma (contrast group) between January 1993 and May 2008. The surgical specimens were paraffin-embedded samples from Department of Pathology of Fujian Medical University and Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. S-P staining of immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Caspase 3 and Caspase 4 in temporal lobe neurocytes of TLE group and contrast group. Their expression was then analyzed. The terminal deoxynucleoitidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was performed to visualize and analyze the neurocytes' apoptosis of two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of Caspase 3 and Caspase 4 in neurocytes of TLE group were both higher than that of contrast group (t=12.905, P<0.01; t=11.880, P<0.01). The apoptotic index (AI) of neurocytes in TLE group also increased than that of contrast group (t=9.664, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caspase 3 and Caspase 4 may mediate neurocytes apoptosis in temporal lobe tissue of refractory human TLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y X
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D053471:Caspases, Initiator; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009474:Neurons; D013702:Temporal Lobe
chemical_list: C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C093516:CASP4 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053471:Caspases, Initiator