Astrocytes reassessment - an evolving concept part one: embryology, biology, morphology and reactivity

Alina Simona Şovrea; Adina Bianca Boşca

doi:10.1186/2049-9256-1-18

Table 4 Individualized reactive astrocytes variants

From: Astrocytes reassessment - an evolving concept part one: embryology, biology, morphology and reactivity

Individualized reactive astrocytes variants	Causes	Morphology	Particularities
Pilocytic astrocytes [23, 24]	• In mild and moderate injuries as individual form of reactive astrocytes	• Elongated, bipolar cell body	These cells contain the Rosenthal fibers (specific but inconstant eosinophilic, cork-screw shaped elements), representing an advanced stage of cellular degeneration in astrocytoma
	• Astrocytoma	• Fusiform nuclei
	• Astrocytoma	• Thin and long hair-like GFAP⁺ processes
Gemistocytic astrocytes [23, 24]	• In mild and moderate injuries as individual form of reactive astrocytes	• Large, dilatated, oval cell body	The organelles are numerous and located in the central zone of the cell body. The glial filaments are also numerous and peripherally arranged, beneath the plasmalemma
	• In gemistocytic astrocytoma as a characteristic feature of this tumors [23]	• Few thick cytoplasmic processes
		• Abundant, deeply eosinophilic cytoplasm
		• Polymorphic nuclei, frequently eccentrical.
Alzheimer type I astrocytes [23, 24]	• Progressive multifocal leuco-encephalopathy	• Enlarged cell body
Alzheimer type I astrocytes [23, 24]	• Progressive multifocal leuco-encephalopathy	• Numerous nuclei
Alzheimer type II astrocytes [23, 24]	• Associated with high blood ammonia in hepatic encephalopathy	• Enlarged cell body	Ammonia taken up by astrocytes is converted to osmotically active glutamine, resulting in astrocytic swelling
Alzheimer type II astrocytes [23, 24]	• In Wilson disease	• Vesicular nuclei with one or more nucleoli

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