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An immunohistochemical study of p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

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Abstract

Nuclear p53 immunoreactivity is demonstrated in infected oligodendroglia, as well as in a proportion of reactive and bizarre astrocytes, in seven progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) biopsies. This likely represents binding to, and prolongation of the half-life of, wild-type p53 protein by JC virus T-antigen. Other possible mechanisms are considered. The same cells show proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positivity, as do a proportion of morphologically normal oligodendroglia and astrocytes, reflecting proliferating populations of these glial sub-types. It is possible that functional inactivation of p53 in nonlytically infected astrocytes may allow neoplastic astrocyte clones to emerge. However, p 53 and PCNA immunoreactivity per se cannot be regarded as indicative of neoplasia in PML, and caution must be exercised in the interpretation of such nuclear staining profiles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, London, UK

    G. Alistair Lammie, Andrew Beckett, Robert Courtney & Francesco Scaravilli

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  1. G. Alistair Lammie
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  2. Andrew Beckett
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  3. Robert Courtney
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  4. Francesco Scaravilli
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Lammie, G.A., Beckett, A., Courtney, R. et al. An immunohistochemical study of p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Acta Neuropathol 88, 465–471 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389500

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389500

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