A quantitative immunohistochemical study on the time-dependent course of acute inflammatory cellular response to human brain injury

The time-dependent inflammatory cell reaction in human cortical contusions has been investigated during the first 30 weeks after blunt head injury. Im munohistochemical staining was carried out using CD 15 for granulocytes and LCA, CD 3 and UCHL-1 for mononuclear leucocytes. In order to provide relia ble data for a forensic wound age estimation, the intensity of the cellular reaction was evaluated with a quantitative image analysis system. CD 15-la belled granulocytes were detectable earliest 10 min after brain injury, whe reas significantly increased numbers of mononuclear leucocytes occurred in cortical contusions after a postinfliction interval of at least 1.1 days (L CA), 2 days (CD 3) or 3.7 days (UCHL-1), respectively.