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Decreased argyrophilic nucleolar organiser region (AgNOR) expression in Purkinje cells: first signal of neuronal damage in sudden fetal and infant death
  1. Anna M Lavezzi1,
  2. Graziella Alfonsi1,
  3. Teresa Pusiol2,
  4. Luigi Matturri1
  1. 1Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, ‘Lino Rossi’ Research Center for the Study and Prevention of Unexpected Perinatal Death and SIDS, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
  2. 2Department of Oncology, Institute of Anatomic Pathology, Hospital of Rovereto (Trento), Rovereto (Trento), Italy
  1. Correspondence to Professor Anna Maria Lavezzi, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, ‘Lino Rossi’ Research Center for the Study and Prevention of Unexpected Perinatal Death and SIDS, University of Milan, Via della Commenda 19, 20122 Milano, Italy; anna.lavezzi{at}unimi.it

Abstract

Aims The nucleolus is an important cellular component involved in the biogenesis of the ribosome. This study was performed in order to validate the introduction of the argyrophilic nucleolar organiser region (AgNOR) stain technique, specific for the nucleoli detection, in neuropathological studies on sudden fetal and infant death.

Methods In a wide set of fetuses and infants, aged from 27 gestational weeks to eight postnatal months and dead from both known and unknown causes, an in-depth neuropathological study usually applied at the Lino Rossi Research Center of the Milan University was implemented by the AgNOR method.

Results Peculiar abnormalities of the nucleoli, as partial or total disruption above all in Purkinje cells (PCs), were exclusively found in victims of sudden fetal and infant death, and not in controls. The observed nucleolar alterations were frequently related to nicotine absorption in pregnancy.

Conclusions We conclude that these findings represent early hallmarks of PC degeneration, contributing to the pathophysiology of sudden perinatal death.

  • AGNORS
  • NEUROPATHOLOGY
  • SIDS

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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