Morfometrijska i imunohistohemijska analiza udruženosti strukturnih promena sa distribucijom psamoma telašaca u horoidnim pleksusima moždanih komora tokom starenja čoveka

Abstract

During the ageing process, numerous structural and functional changes occur in the cerebral ventricles’ choroid plexus. The formation of psamomma bodies starts at an early age, and is considered a physiological consequence of the ageing process. Using histochemical and immunohistochemical methods, autopsy samples of choroid plexus of all four cerebral ventricles were analyzed morphologically and morphometrically. The structure of the choroid plexus, its epithelium morphology, as well as the distribution and characteristics of the psamommma bodies, were investigated in this study. Besides, the expression of CD44, CD68, osteopontin and osteocalcin, was analyzed. The results of this study showed significant structural changes in choroid plexus during ageing. Choroid plexus arborification and its blood vessels density is reduced. The epitelium changed with presence of high domed, flattened spindle, or large cells expanded by its content. Psamomma bodies in the elderly formed large groups, often inside cysts, and showed an increse in their number and size. Increased osteopontin expression is characteristic younger population choroid plexus, unlike osteocalcin whose expression progressively increases withe age. Psamomma bodies formation and their characteristics are in correlation with changes in the structure of the choroid plexus and its epithelium, during the ageing process in humans. After taking into consideration the role of choroid plexus in the central nervous system homeostasis regulation, the stated changes in ageing choroid plexus and psamomma bodies characteristics, may contribute to the reveiling of the mechanism of fuctional impairement of the brain in the elderly.