Effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate if antenatal glucocorticoid treatment has an effect on hippocampal histology of the human preterm newborn. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Included were consecutive neonates with a gestational age between 24 and 32 weeks, who were born between 1991 to 2009, who had died within 4 days...
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3311632?pdf=render |
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| author | Deodata Tijsseling Lia D E Wijnberger Jan B Derks Cindy T J van Velthoven Willem B de Vries Frank van Bel Peter G J Nikkels Gerard H A Visser |
| author_facet | Deodata Tijsseling Lia D E Wijnberger Jan B Derks Cindy T J van Velthoven Willem B de Vries Frank van Bel Peter G J Nikkels Gerard H A Visser |
| author_sort | Deodata Tijsseling |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | OBJECTIVE: To investigate if antenatal glucocorticoid treatment has an effect on hippocampal histology of the human preterm newborn. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Included were consecutive neonates with a gestational age between 24 and 32 weeks, who were born between 1991 to 2009, who had died within 4 days after delivery and underwent brain autopsy. Excluded were neonates with congenital malformations and neonates treated postnatally with glucocorticoids. The brains were routinely fixed, samples of the hippocampus were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and sections were examined for presence or absence of large and small neurons in regions of the hippocampus. Additional staining with GFAP, neurofilament and vimentin was performed to evaluate gliosis and myelination. The proliferation marker Ki67 was used to evaluate neuronal proliferation. Staining with acid fuchsin-thionin was performed to evaluate ischemic damage. RESULTS: The hippocampi of ten neonates who had been treated with antenatal glucocorticoids showed a lower density of large neurons (p = 0.01) and neurons irrespective of size (p = 0.02) as compared to eleven neonates who had not been treated with glucocorticoids. No difference was found in density of small neurons, in myelination, gliosis, proliferation or ischemic damage. CONCLUSION: We found a significantly lower density of neurons in the hippocampus of neonates after antenatal glucocorticoid treatment. Although the pathophysiological and clinical interpretations of these findings are not clear, they are consistent with those from experiments in mice and rhesus monkeys. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:07:39Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
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| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-35109007d0f8446a8356db1b53b261692022-12-21T18:59:22ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0173e3336910.1371/journal.pone.0033369Effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants.Deodata TijsselingLia D E WijnbergerJan B DerksCindy T J van VelthovenWillem B de VriesFrank van BelPeter G J NikkelsGerard H A VisserOBJECTIVE: To investigate if antenatal glucocorticoid treatment has an effect on hippocampal histology of the human preterm newborn. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Included were consecutive neonates with a gestational age between 24 and 32 weeks, who were born between 1991 to 2009, who had died within 4 days after delivery and underwent brain autopsy. Excluded were neonates with congenital malformations and neonates treated postnatally with glucocorticoids. The brains were routinely fixed, samples of the hippocampus were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and sections were examined for presence or absence of large and small neurons in regions of the hippocampus. Additional staining with GFAP, neurofilament and vimentin was performed to evaluate gliosis and myelination. The proliferation marker Ki67 was used to evaluate neuronal proliferation. Staining with acid fuchsin-thionin was performed to evaluate ischemic damage. RESULTS: The hippocampi of ten neonates who had been treated with antenatal glucocorticoids showed a lower density of large neurons (p = 0.01) and neurons irrespective of size (p = 0.02) as compared to eleven neonates who had not been treated with glucocorticoids. No difference was found in density of small neurons, in myelination, gliosis, proliferation or ischemic damage. CONCLUSION: We found a significantly lower density of neurons in the hippocampus of neonates after antenatal glucocorticoid treatment. Although the pathophysiological and clinical interpretations of these findings are not clear, they are consistent with those from experiments in mice and rhesus monkeys.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3311632?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Deodata Tijsseling Lia D E Wijnberger Jan B Derks Cindy T J van Velthoven Willem B de Vries Frank van Bel Peter G J Nikkels Gerard H A Visser Effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants. PLoS ONE |
| title | Effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants. |
| title_full | Effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants. |
| title_fullStr | Effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants. |
| title_short | Effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants. |
| title_sort | effects of antenatal glucocorticoid therapy on hippocampal histology of preterm infants |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3311632?pdf=render |
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