For investigation of histogenesis of
central neurocytomas (CNs),
subependymoma (SEs), subependymal giant cell
astrocytomas (SEGAs), we studied expression of various neuronal and glial
biomarkers by immunohistochemical (IHC) study and
reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The materials for IHC were
paraffin section of seven CNs, three SEs, and eight SEGAs and those for RT-PCR were frozen tissues of seven CNs, three SEs, and five SEGAs. Control group was five
ependymomas (EPs) and four
pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs). The neuronal
biomarkers included
nestin,
chromogranin A (chrA),
synaptophysin (SNP), neuronal
cell adhesion molecule (
NCAM),
neuron specific enolase (NSE), neuronal
nuclear antigen (NeuN), neurofilament (NF) and the glial marker was GFAP. CNs expressed all neuronal markers except NF (0%), SNP (100%),
NCAM (100%), NSE (100%), NeuN (100%),
nestin (29%) and chrA (43%), but GFAP expression was found only in one case (14%). SEGA coexpressed several neuronal markers and a glial marker; NeuN (100%), NSE (88%),
NCAM (63%),
nestin (100%), SNP (weakly and focally, 100%), and GFAP (100%), however, other neuronal markers including chrA, SNP and NF were all negative. SE expressed nonspecific neuronal markers (
NCAM (100%) and NSE (100%)) which showed weak intensity and a GFAP (100%), but not
nestin. Among control cases of EPs and PAs, no one case expressed neuronal markers except nonspecific neuronal marker of
NCAM, but robustly expressed GFAP. RT-PCR product of
nestin was expressed in 29% of CNs (2/7cases), 60% of SEGAs (3/5 cases), 100% of SEs (3/3 cases), 80% of EPs (4/5 cases), and 25% of PAs (1/4 cases). Conclusively, coexpression of neuronal and glial markers and expression of
nestin in CNs, SEGAs and SEs suggested the origin of these
tumor cells might be the stem cells being able to differentiate into both neuronal and glial phenotypes. But CNs might be originated from rather neuronally committed stem cells and SEs from rather glially committed stem cells.