Astroglial reactions in periventricular white matter of maturing human brains.

The aim of the study was to examine the astroglial reactivity in brains of fetuses and newborns during the third trimester of gestation. The immuno-histochemical reaction of glial cells with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was used. The periventricular white matter damage due to pre- and perinatal hypoxia or sepsis was examined in 11 cases of 28 to 40 weeks of developmental age. Observations of astroglial reaction expressed by the GFAP-positive cells confirmed its sensitivity. The number and hypertrophy of astroglial cells localized in periventricular white matter at parietal level coincide with the predilection of this area to perinatal brain damage.