Neurofilament H immunoreaction in oligodendrogliomas as demonstrated by a new polyclonal antibody

We have characterized a new polyclonal antibody against heavy chain (H) of neurofilament which can be used to demonstrate neurofilament H in normal br ain tissue and oligodendroglioma cells immunocytochemically and immunochemi cally. Using this antibody we found neurofilament H-immunoreactive tumor ce lls in 13 oligodendrogliomas (6 WHO grade LT, 7 WHO grade III) out of 84 ol igodendrogliomas investigated (59 WHO grade LI and 25 WHO grade III). Doubl e immunolabeling and confocal laser scanning microscopy showed colocalizati on of neurofilament H and glial fibrillary acidic protein in certain oligod endroglioma cells. Colocalization of neurofilament and synaptophysin was ob served only rarely. The results support the notion that oligodendrogliomas consists of a heterogeneous cell population displaying various stages of di fferentiation and dedifferentiation. The occurrence of neurofilament H-immu noreactive tumor cells in oligodendrogliomas is not related to the survival of the patients.