Immunohistochemical expression of osteopontin and collagens in choroid plexus of human brains

Evidence showing the functional significance of the choroid plexus is accumulating. Although it is clinically well-known that calcification is frequently seen in the choroid plexus of aged human brains, it is unclear why calcification occurs in the aged choroid plexus and what exert effects on the calcification has. In this study, immunohistochemical localizations of collagens and other molecules related to fibrosis or calcification were investigated on the choroid plexus of autopsied human brains. Densely fibrous or calcified materials were located in the stroma just below the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus of all human brains examined. Immunoreactivity for collagen type I was identified in the stroma just below the epithelial cells, consistent with the densely fibrous or calcified area, whereas that for collagen type III was observed in almost all stroma other than the densely fibrous or calcified areas. Linear or membranous immunoreactivity for collagen type IV was intermittently localized on the epithelium-facing side of the materials, suggesting an injured basement membrane. In addition, clear immunoreactivity for osteopontin was localized on the epithelium-facing side of the fibrous or calcified materials as well as in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. These findings indicate that collagen type I exists in contact with osteopontin in and around the densely fibrous or calcified materials in the choroid plexus. They suggest that the densely fibrous or calcified materials are deposited in the subepithelial stroma just below an injured basement membrane of epithelial cells via the collagen type I and osteopontin.