Expression of leukemia inhibitory factor in the ganglionic eminence of the human fetal brain after bleedings.

摘要

Bleedings in the ganglionic eminence (GE) being a prominent domain of the telencephalic proliferative zone is a frequent complication of preterm infants. Such bleedings may induce cellular responses in the vicinity of the lesion. Using immunohistochemistry, this study demonstrates for the first time that leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) belonging to the family of neuropoetic cytokines is expressed in GE cells up to 200 microm from the lesion (six brains, gestational age 22-26 weeks); whereas control brains do not exhibit any LIF-immunoreactive cells in the GE. The expression of LIF in cases with bleedings may interfere with normal developmental processes taking place within the ganglionic eminence.