Abstract
We found eosinophilic fibrillary neuronal inclusions (EFNI) that were argyrophilic and immunoreactive for anti-ubiquitin in the cerebral cortex of a patient with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and mild personality changes. Both hematoxylin and eosin and Bodian’s preparations revealed the EFNI to be rod-, flame-shaped, or spherical structures existing within the swollen neuronal perinuclear region in the third, fifth, and sixth layers of the fronto-parieto-temporal cortices including the primary motor cortex. On electron microscopy, filamentous profiles aggregated and formed a single bundle or globule in the neuronal perikaryon without any limiting membrane. Most EFNI had a characteristic multiple layer arrangement. The inner core consisted of randomly oriented granule-free tubules with a fuzzy outer contour, measuring 15–20 nm in diameter. The surrounding layer was made up of granule-associated filaments, electron-dense free granules, and small vesicular profiles. Large autolysosome-like membrane-bound vesicular profiles were found scattered at the periphery. Neurofilaments were usually mingled with in the surrounding cytoplasm. Many EFNI were also found in dendrites, but only a few in axons. Both granule-free tubules and granule-associated filaments expressed ubiquitin protein epitopes. Aberrant phosphorylation of neurofilament protein and induction of αB-crystallin were shown to exist in EFNI-bearing swollen neurons. Despite having a variety of histological appearances, our observations revealed that EFNI all have common immunocytochemical and ultrastructural characteristics, and thus we assume that EFNI represent a series of cytological alterations in the motor and extra-motor cortices of ALS patients.
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Received: 25 August 1997 / Revised, accepted: 12 December 1997
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Arima, K., Ogawa, M., Sunohara, N. et al. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural characterization of ubiquitinated eosinophilic fibrillary neuronal inclusions in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 96, 75–85 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010050862
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010050862