Heat shock protein 60 in corpora amylacea.

Heat shock protein 60 representation in the corpora amylacea of the brain was investigated in five different neurological diseases. In the cases with cerebral infarct, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and primary tumors of the nervous system the corpora amylacea showed similar appearance with strong HSP-60 positivity in all investigated disorders at the predilection sites. In the inflammatory diseases, besides corpora amylacea, several cellular elements exhibited HSP-60 immunostaining too. In these cases, the widespread HSP-60 immunoreactivity associated with relative moderate corpora amylacea production as compared to other diseases. From this contradiction we concluded the corpora amylacea participate in the cellular stress reaction but stress protein synthesis certainly is not the primary event in corpora amylacea formation. In the development of the corpora amylacea the incipient process is most probably degenerative in nature, which later on is accompanied by stress protein synthesis and slow growing of these round structures designated for a protective role in the brain. However, the role of the stress protein synthesis in the corpora amylacea formation and growth was not unequivocally answered in this study. It is necessary to perform further comparative investigations of the stress protein representation and corpora amylacea formation in different diseases which may help in discovering useful pathogenetic data and the biological role of this degenerative structure.