Relationship between extracellular matrix both in choroid plexus and the wall of lateral ventricles and intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm neonates

Pathogenesis of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) may relate to immature ve ssels. However extracellular matrix-such as Type TV collagen, laminin, and fibronectin has a direct bearing on the development of the endothelium and the immature microvessel, Twenty specimens taken from lateral ventricular w alls and choroid plexus in 10 preterm neonates who died of intraventricular hemorrhage and another 10 preterm neonates who died of non-intraventricula r hemorrhage, were marked with antibodies against Type IV collagen, laminin , and fibronectin. Average areas of positive staining around the microvesse ls in the IVH group showed less staining than that in the non-IVH group (P < 0.05), and the microvessel count of discontinuous positive staining in IV H group was more than that in non-IVH group, P < 0.05. We conclude that lac king Type IV collagen, laminin, and fibronectin may result not only in an i ncomplete basement membrane in choroid plexus and subependymal immature mic rovessels but also may be a factor contributing to IVH in preterm neonates. Clin. Anat. 13:422-428, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-liss, Inc.