Table 4

Neurodegeneration and iron density in deep grey matter (DGM) lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and controls

		DGM controls	MS NADGM	MS inactive DGM lesions	MS active DGM lesions
APP-reactive neuronal cell bodies/mm²	Median	0	0.3	0	1.3
APP-reactive neuronal cell bodies/mm²	Min.−Max.	0–2.6	0–3.5	0–2.7	0–2.9
APP-reactive axonal spheroids/mm²	Median	0	3*	5.0*	*79.8†**
APP-reactive axonal spheroids/mm²	Min.−Max.	0–1.2	0–55.6	0–30.7	17.4–150.5
E06-reactive neurons in %	Median	13.48	69.10*	84.49*	84–84*
E06-reactive neurons in %	Min.−Max.	0.7–74.56	19.75–99.0	19.77–99.95	41.07–98.38
E06-reactive axonal spheroids/mm²	Median	0.3	1.4	0.5	2
E06-reactive axonal spheroids/mm²	Min.−Max.	0–362.8	0–224	0–34.7	0–20.3
E06-reactive thin cellular processes/mm²	Median	1.2	5.4	8.7	8.8
E06-reactive thin cellular processes/mm²	Min.−Max.	0–50.9	0–150.5	0–211.2	0–17.4
E06-reactive oligodendrocytes/mm²	Median	1.7	15.2*	12.6 *	19.8
E06-reactive oligodendrocytes/mm²	Min.−Max.	0–34.7	0–72	3.5–89.7	11.6–56.4
E06-reactive lipofuscin/mm²	Median	19.4	29.2	16.6	21.3
E06-reactive lipofuscin/mm²	Min.−Max.	0–39.9	1.7–88.5	6.1–94.6	13.4–38.2
E06-positive area in %	Median	0.3	3.5*	4.6*	3.7
E06-positive area in %	Min.−Max.	0–3.3	0.1–29.7	0.1–18.4	0.1–9.5
Oxidised DNA-reactive nuclei/mm²	Median	1.7	3.5	2.7	4.4
Oxidised DNA-reactive nuclei/mm²	Min.−Max.	0–18.5	0–19.7	0–30.1	1.2–18.8
Iron density	Median	612.3	654.5	469.4†	546.7
Iron density	Min.−Max.	391.5–830.3	391.6–1031.2	312–816.6	444.4–710.2

This table depicts an overview of the extent of axonal injury/neurodegeneration in the DGM of patients with MS that was separated according to active lesions, inactive lesions, normal-appearing deep grey matter (NADGM) and control DGM.
In the NADGM, APP-positive axonal spheroids (p=0.001), E06-reactive neurons (p=0.001) and E06-reactive oligodendrocytes (p=0.014) were significantly increased compared with controls. The NADGM also displayed a higher percentage of E06-reactive areas (p=0.002). In the active and inactive lesions of the DGM, the levels of APP-positive axonal spheroids (p=0.003 and p<0.001, respectively) and E06-reactive neurons (p=0.024 and p<0.001, respectively) were also higher than in controls. E06-reactive oligodendrocytes (p=0.008) and the percentage of E06-reactive area (p=0.019) reached statistical significance only in the inactive lesions and not in the active lesions. Iron density decreased in inactive lesions compared with the surrounding NADGM tissue (p=0.019).
*The values represent median values and range. Significant p values after correction for multiple testing in comparison with controls.
†Significant p values after correction for multiple testing in comparison with NADGM.
APP, amyloid precursor protein.