Prominent EMA 'dots' in tumour-induced Bergmann gliosis

Aims To describe an unusual pattern of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) immunoreactivity in highly proliferative human Bergmann glia. Methods and results An immunohistochemical study was performed of postmortem cerebellar tissue from 18 adult patients with cerebellar damage of various aetiologies a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Histopathology 2014-02, Vol.64 (3), p.445-452
Main Authors: Gelpi, Ellen, Bombi, Josep A, Martinez-Saez, Elena, Caral, Luis, Ribalta, Teresa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Astrocytoma - metabolism
Astrocytoma - pathology
Bergmann glia
Case-Control Studies
Cerebellar Neoplasms - metabolism
Cerebellar Neoplasms - pathology
Cerebellum - metabolism
Cerebellum - pathology
Child
Child, Preschool
Cytoplasm - metabolism
Cytoplasm - pathology
dots
EMA
Female
Gliosis - metabolism
Gliosis - pathology
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Infant
leptomeningeal sarcomatosis
Male
Meningeal Neoplasms - metabolism
Meningeal Neoplasms - pathology
Middle Aged
Mucin-1 - metabolism
Young Adult
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Summary:Aims To describe an unusual pattern of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) immunoreactivity in highly proliferative human Bergmann glia. Methods and results An immunohistochemical study was performed of postmortem cerebellar tissue from 18 adult patients with cerebellar damage of various aetiologies and 15 biopsies of diverse adult and paediatric cerebellar tumours. We observed marked proliferation of Bergmann glia with unusual prominent dot‐like cytoplasmic EMA immunoreactivity in a case with extensive leptomeningeal sarcomatosis. Similar staining was not observed in association with other types of cerebellar pathology, except for other neoplastic conditions, such as leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, adult medulloblastoma, and pilocytic astrocytoma in children. At an ultrastructural level, the index case showed prominent endoplasmic reticulum with some intermediate filaments and lipofuscin granules, but no structures related to cilia or microvilli were observed. Conclusions We consider that prominent EMA dots in Bergmann glia might represent excessive activation induced by an overlying leptomeningeal tumour that stimulates the expression of early developmental antigens. This observation suggests modulation of the glial phenotype when exposed to a neoplastic microenvironment that, in turn, might influence the regenerative potential of Bergmann glia.
ISSN:0309-0167
1365-2559
DOI:10.1111/his.12260