This study assessed histological findings in the post-mortem brain of our ACTG1 variant case where the pregnancy was terminated at 35.71 weeks. Findings were compared with an age-matched brain from a preterm infant who died (oligohydramnios and immature lungs) at 32.71 weeks gestational (GA); (age-matched control). The control infant brain showed no significant pathology on gross and microscopic examination and was, therefore, felt appropriate to be used as a non-neuropathological age-matched control (control case).
For both cases, the whole brain was sliced by a pathologist (A.M.), and the tissue blocks were processed on a Leica Tissue Processor (Leica Biosystems, Newcastle, United Kingdom). The paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were sectioned at 6 μm using a Leica RM2245 microtome (Leica Microsystems Ltd., Newcastle, United Kingdom). Paraffin-embedded tissue sections taken from the caudal frontal lobes (at the level of the posterior Ammon’s horn) were used for immunohistochemistry and histochemistry.
For both cases, the whole brain was sliced by a pathologist (A.M.), and the tissue blocks were processed on a Leica Tissue Processor (Leica Biosystems, Newcastle, United Kingdom). The paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were sectioned at 6 μm using a Leica RM2245 microtome (Leica Microsystems Ltd., Newcastle, United Kingdom). Paraffin-embedded tissue sections taken from the caudal frontal lobes (at the level of the posterior Ammon’s horn) were used for immunohistochemistry and histochemistry.