Expression profiles of pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic mediators in secondary tethered cord syndrome after myelomeningocele repair surgery.
PURPOSE
The literature on histopathological and molecular changes that might underlie secondary tethered cord syndrome (TCS) after myelomeningocele (MMC) repair surgeries remains sparse. To address this problem, we analyzed specimens, which were obtained during untethering surgeries of patients who had a history of MMC repair surgery after birth.


METHODS
Specimens of 12 patients were analyzed in this study. Clinical characteristics were obtained retrospectively including pre-operative neurological and bowel/bladder-function, contractures and spasticity of lower extremities, leg and back pain, syringomyelia, and conus position on spinal MRI. Cellular marker expression profiles were established. Further, immunoreactivities (IR) of IL-1ß/IL-1R1, TNF-α/TNF-R1, and HIF-1α/-2α were analyzed qualitatively and semi-quantitatively by densitometry. Co-labeling with cellular markers was determined by multi-fluorescence-labeling. Cytokines were further analyzed on mRNA level. Immunostaining for cleaved PARP and TUNEL was performed to detect apoptotic cells.


RESULTS
Astrocytosis, appearance of monocytes, activated microglia, and apoptotic cells in TCS specimens were one substantial finding of these studies. Besides neurons, these cells co-stained with IL-1ß and TNF-α and their receptors, which were found on significantly elevated IR-level and partially mRNA-level in TCS specimens. Staining for HIF-1α/-2α confirmed induction of hypoxia-related factors in TCS specimens that were co-labeled with IL-1ß. Further, hints for apoptotic cell death became evident by TUNEL and PARP-positive cells in TCS neuroepithelia.


CONCLUSIONS
Our studies identified pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic mediators that, besides mechanical damaging and along with hypoxia, might promote TCS development. Besides optimizing surgical techniques, these factors should also be taken into account when searching for further options to improve TCS treatment.
['Cohrs|Gesa|G|', 'Drucks|Bea|B|', 'Sürie|Jan-Philip|JP|', 'Vokuhl|Christian|C|', 'Synowitz|Michael|M|', 'Held-Feindt|Janka|J|', 'Knerlich-Lukoschus|Friederike|F|0000-0003-4907-015X']
D017209:Apoptosis D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D016207:Cytokines D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007223:Infant D007249:Inflammation D008297:Male D008591:Meningomyelocele D008875:Middle Aged D009436:Neural Tube Defects D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures D012189:Retrospective Studies D059467:Transcriptome D055815:Young Adult
Cytokines Hypoxia Dysraphism Real-time RT-PCR