The expression of Tau protein in the brains of the intractable epilepsy patients / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the expression of Tau protein in brains of the intractable epilepsy patients and discuss its function in the pathogenesis. Methods Immunohistochemistry was adapted to test the expression of Tau protein and the mossy fiber sprouting in the hippocampus and cortex of temporal lobe from 48 intractable epilepsy patients and age-mached 48 cases of controls. Results The expression of phosphorylated Tau protein in the CA_3 areas (0.0450?0.0115) and the molecular layers of dentate gyrus (0.0463?0.0120) in intractable epilepsy patients was increased, accompanied by the hippocampus mossy fiber sprouting (3.18?0.35). No difference on the expression of total Tau protein was observed between the intractable epilepsy patients and the controls. Conclusion The present findings demonstrate that the strengthening of phosphorylated Tau protein might play an important role for the synaptic reorganization of the hippocampus. Thus, the changes of phosphorylated Tau protein could improve clinical prognosis in the intractable epilepsy patients.