Neurochemical profile of glioneuronal lesions from patients with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsies

Abstract

Gangliogliomas, dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNT) and glioneuronal malformations are frequently encountered in patients with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsies. In order to characterize the neurochemical profile of these neoplastic and malformative glioneuronal lesions, we have examined the presence of the alpha 1 subunit of the GABAA receptor, the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 1 (NR1), glutamate decarboxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase, somatostatin, parvalbumin, and calretinin in 60 gangliogliomas, 11 DNT, 10 tuberous sclerosis-like lesions and 17 non-tuberous sclerosis-like glioneuronal malformations. All DNT and tuberous sclerosis-like lesions, 59 gangliogliomas (98%), and 13 non-tuberous sclerosis-like hamartias (76%) were positive for at least one of the markers. Despite a great variation between and within the different entities, the neurochemical profile was generally reminiscent of normal neocortex: glutamate decarboxylase, GABAA receptor and NR1 which are common in neocortical neurons were present in the great majority of the lesions and often showed high labeling indices. There were three tuberous sclerosis-like lesions (30%) that contained both NR1 and glutamate decarboxylase immunoreactive giant cells in addition to well-differentiated ganglion cells. This supports the idea that at least some of these giant cells are of neuronal origin. The oligodendroglia-like cells of DNT and glioneuronal hamartias did not show immunoreactivity for any of the markers. The very high incidence of ganglioglial lesions in patients with chronic focal epilepsies and the presence of neurotransmitter-producing enzymes, neurotransmitter receptors, neuropeptides, and calcium-binding proteins in many of these lesions suggests that they may play an active role in the pathogenesis of epileptic seizures.