BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is detected in ischemic brain cells in experimental animal models and is believed to play an important role in apoptosis. However, the natural expression of TNF-alpha during human stroke is not known. METHODS: We examined TNF-alpha immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) in brain samples of stroke victims (n=16) after variable survival (15 hours to 18 days). Systemic TNF-alpha content from a separate cohort including severe or lethal stroke cases (n=26) was also assayed. RESULTS: Neuronal TNF-alpha was demonstrated from 0.6 to 5.4 days after the onset of stroke symptoms, peaking bilaterally during days 2 and 3. Bilateral glial TNF-alpha immunoreactivity was detected during the acute phase, with the astrocytic TNF-alpha expression dominating in later phases and persisting contralaterally to the infarct in more matured phases (17 to 18 days). Invading inflammatory cells were TNF-alpha immunopositive beginning on the third day. Besides, vascular wall structures showed immunoreactivity sporadically. TNF-alpha levels were mostly nondetectable in peripheral blood. TUNEL labeling and TNF-alpha staining overlapped, although not completely, during the first days. CONCLUSIONS: The data support the hypothesis that TNF-alpha may be involved both in the acute propagation of inflammatory processes and cell death and possibly in the more delayed reconstitutive processes of human ischemic stroke.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is detected in ischemic brain cells in experimental animal models and is believed to play an important role in apoptosis. However, the natural expression of TNF-alpha during humanstroke is not known. METHODS: We examined TNF-alpha immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) in brain samples of stroke victims (n=16) after variable survival (15 hours to 18 days). Systemic TNF-alpha content from a separate cohort including severe or lethal stroke cases (n=26) was also assayed. RESULTS: Neuronal TNF-alpha was demonstrated from 0.6 to 5.4 days after the onset of stroke symptoms, peaking bilaterally during days 2 and 3. Bilateral glial TNF-alpha immunoreactivity was detected during the acute phase, with the astrocytic TNF-alpha expression dominating in later phases and persisting contralaterally to the infarct in more matured phases (17 to 18 days). Invading inflammatory cells were TNF-alpha immunopositive beginning on the third day. Besides, vascular wall structures showed immunoreactivity sporadically. TNF-alpha levels were mostly nondetectable in peripheral blood. TUNEL labeling and TNF-alpha staining overlapped, although not completely, during the first days. CONCLUSIONS: The data support the hypothesis that TNF-alpha may be involved both in the acute propagation of inflammatory processes and cell death and possibly in the more delayed reconstitutive processes of humanischemic stroke.
Authors: Frances Rena Bahjat; Rebecca L Williams-Karnesky; Steven G Kohama; G Alexander West; Kristian P Doyle; Maxwell D Spector; Theodore R Hobbs; Mary P Stenzel-Poore Journal: J Cereb Blood Flow Metab Date: 2011-02-02 Impact factor: 6.200
Authors: Kwaku Asare; Beatrice E Gee; Jonathan K Stiles; Nana O Wilson; Adel Driss; Alexander Quarshie; Robert J Adams; Abdullah Kutlar; Jacqueline M Hibbert Journal: Cytokine Date: 2009-11-08 Impact factor: 3.861