Ubiquitin-positive inclusions in ependymal cells

Abstract

Ubiquitin-positive inclusions (UbIs) have not been well studied in ependymal cells. Since we detected such UbIs in the central canals of the medulla and spinal cord while investigating UbIs in neurodegenerative diseases, we studied UbIs in the entire ependymal system of 42 patients with various neurological diseases and of 10 non-neurological controls. UbIs were located in the cytoplasm of the ependymal cells, and were round to oval in shape, measuring 4-11 microm in diameter. The UbIs were non-argyrophilic and undetectable by hematoxylin and eosin staining, but mildly reactive to periodic acid-Schiff staining with and without digestion. The UbIs were variably immunoreactive for anti-epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) antibody, but did not react with several other antibodies. The co-existence of ubiquitin and EMA was confirmed by confocal laser microscopy. Throughout the ependymal system, UbIs were variably found in ependymal cells as well as in subependymal cells. There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of either ependymal or subependymal UbIs between the patients with neurological diseases and controls. However, ependymal UbIs in the central canal were more frequent in the neurological disease patients than in controls, although there was no disease specificity. This is the first comprehensive report to show common occurrence of UbIs in the ependymal cells of adult human brains.