Immunohistochemical Investigation of S100 and NSE in Cases of Traumatic Brain Injury and Its Application for Survival Time Determination

Abstract

The availability of markers able to provide insight into protein changes in the central nervous system after fatal traumatic brain injury (TBI) is limited. The present study reports on the semi-quantitative assessments of the immunopositive neuroglial cells (both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) and neurons for S100 protein (S100), as well as neuronal specific enolase (NSE), in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum with regard to survival time and cause of death. Brain tissues of 47 autopsy cases with TBI (survival times ranged between several minutes and 34 d) and 10 age- and gender-matched controls (natural deaths) were examined. TBI cases were grouped according to their survival time in acute death after brain injury (ABI, n = 25), subacute death after brain injury (SBI, n = 18) and delayed death after brain injury (DBI, n = 4). There were no significant changes in the percentages of S100-stained astrocytes between TBI and control cases. The percentages of S100-positive oligodendrocytes in the pericontusional zone (PCZ) in cases with SBI were significantly lower than in controls (p < 0.05) and in the ABI group (p < 0.05). In the hippocampus, S100-positive oligodendrocytes were significantly lower in cases with ABI and SBI (both, p < 0.05), compared with controls. It is of particular interest that there were also S100-positive neurons in the PCZ and hippocampus in TBI cases after more than 2 h survival but not in ABI cases or controls. The percentages of NSE-positive neurons in the hippocampus were likewise significantly lower in cases with ABI, compared with controls (p < 0.05) but increased in cases with SBI in PCZ (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the present findings emphasize that S100 and NSE-immunopositivity might be useful for detecting the cause and process of death due to TBI. Further, S100-positivity in neurons may be helpful to estimate the survival time of fatal injuries in legal medicine.

Neuron specific enolase: a promising therapeutic target in acute spinal cord injury

“…NSE expression is also detected in cultured OLGs and elevated during the differentiation of OLG precursors into mature OLGs [42], although it is believed to be repressed in fully mature OLGs. NSE is detectable in glial neoplasms and reactive glial cells while undergoing morphological changes [43].…”

Neuroprotective effects of oleocanthal, a compound in virgin olive oil, in a rat model of traumatic brain injury

“…In many studies, S100 and VEGF are preferred markers to determine trauma severity (13,23,24). S100 has been considered a glial marker protein and it has also been detected in other cell types such as ependymal cells and the choroid plexus epithelium.…”

“…S100 has been considered a glial marker protein and it has also been detected in other cell types such as ependymal cells and the choroid plexus epithelium. S100 marker has been investigated immunohistochemically in autopsy cases with regard to the cause of death, the severity of TBI and the survival times (13). VEGF is a trophic factor expressed in the central nervous system after injury, and VEGF expression inhibition after injury may actually exacerbate outcomes (23,24).…”

Drug- and/or trauma-induced hyperthermia? Characterization of HSP70 and myoglobin expression

“…Regarding HSP70, in all cases, the total numbers of tubular cells in the renal cortex, the glomerular podocytes and the Bowman’s capsules were counted in 20 high-power fields (400x magnification) and the positive percentage of these cells were subsequently calculated (Doberentz et al [ 11 ] and Preuß et al [ 21 ] defined these renal cell types to be areas of HSP70 expression). Regarding the brain sections, the total number of neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and vessel walls in which HSP70 expression was detected in the cortex and the CA1 region of the hippocampus were respectively counted in 10 high-power field, as described previously [ 22 ]. Cell classification was performed according to established cytomorphological criteria.…”