[INTRANUCLEAR ACCUMULATION OF Iba-1 PROTEIN IN MICROGLIOCYTES OF THE HUMAN BRAIN].

Iba-1 protein which is a recognized marker of the microglial cells, was previously detected by the authors in the nucleus of microgliocytes. The present study was aimed to define more exactly these data using the methods of immunohistochemistry and confocal laser microscopy. The study was performed on the fragments of the human brain (n=18, age 25–78 years). The areas examined included cortex, striatum, substantia nigra, and nucleus rubrum. The Iba-1 protein was shown to accumulate in one or several parts of microgliocyte nucleus not identical to the nucleolus or the heterochromatin granules. The reasons for this fact are unclear. It may be speculated that Iba-1 protein besides its major function (involvement in phagocytosis) can perform the role of a transcriptional factor.