A morphometric study of the spatial patterns of TDP-43 immunoreactive neuronal inclusions in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with progranulin (GRN) mutation

Histol Histopathol. 2011 Feb;26(2):185-90. doi: 10.14670/HH-26.185.

Abstract

Mutations of the progranulin (GRN) gene are a major cause of familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration with transactive response (TAR) DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) proteinopathy (FTLD-TDP). We studied the spatial patterns of TDP-43 immunoreactive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCI) and neuronal intranuclear inclusions (NII) in histological sections of the frontal and temporal lobe in eight cases of FTLD-TDP with GRN mutation using morphometric methods and spatial pattern analysis. In neocortical regions, the NCI were clustered and the clusters were regularly distributed parallel to the pia mater; 58% of regions analysed exhibiting this pattern. The NII were present in regularly distributed clusters in 35% of regions but also randomly distributed in many areas. In neocortical regions, the sizes of the regular clusters of NCI and NII were 400-800 μm, approximating to the size of the modular columns of the cortico-cortical projections, in 31% and 36% of regions respectively. The NCI and NII also exhibited regularly spaced clustering in sectors CA1/2 of the hippocampus and in the dentate gyrus. The clusters of NCI and NII were not spatially correlated. The data suggest degeneration of the cortico-cortical and cortico-hippocampal pathways in FTLD-TDP with GRN mutation, the NCI and NII affecting different clusters of neurons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Brain / pathology
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration / genetics
  • Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration / metabolism
  • Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Inclusion Bodies / metabolism
  • Inclusion Bodies / pathology
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics*
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies / metabolism
  • Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation*
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / pathology
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / pathology*
  • Organ Size
  • Progranulins
  • Protein Precursors
  • TDP-43 Proteinopathies / genetics
  • TDP-43 Proteinopathies / metabolism
  • TDP-43 Proteinopathies / pathology*

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • GRN protein, human
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Progranulins
  • Protein Precursors