Crystallin Alpha-B Overexpression as a Possible Marker of Reactive Astrogliosis in Human Cerebral Contusions.

The pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has not yet been fully elucidated. Crystallin alpha-B (CRYAB) is a molecular chaperone that apparently tries to stabilize the rapid thickening of the intermediate filaments of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) during the process of reactive astrogliosis in response to TBI. Previous analyses of the gene expression profile in human brain contusion tissue showed us an exacerbated CRYAB overexpression.

[Pathophysiology of focal cerebral ischemia: fundamental aspects and its projection on clinical practice].

Aim: The aim of this study is to review the basic aspects of focal cerebral ischemia as a fundamental element in clinical practice and of neuroprotective strategies.

Development: Ischemia triggers several different responses in nerve tissue which, according to the degree of energetic limitation, can be adaptive or lead to cell death due to necrosis or apoptosis. Establishing these processes is a complex task and the mechanisms involved have still not been fully explained; this is made more difficult by the fact that many of them are simultaneous and also because of the implications they may have, not only in cell death but also in the adaptation of the neurons that suffered ischemic stress and survived.