Figure 3.

Perivascular astrocytes overexpress FGF-2 in the cerebral cortex of MS patients. A, B, Parallel sections of the same region of a block from one MS patient where a general upregulation of FGF-2 in perivascular astrocytes (A, arrows) was restricted to the NAGM area with no signs of demyelination in the contiguous NAWM (B). C, Detailed view of two FGF-2⁺ cells, one in contact with a blood vessel (black arrow). D–F, Double labeling (white arrows) of FGF-2 (D) and GFAP, a marker for astrocytes (E), which confirms their coexpression (F). G–I, In gray matter of controls, where FGF-2-immunoreactive astrocytes were absent (G), a continuous linear ZO-1 immunoreactivity could be seen (H–I). J, L, Association of FGF-2⁺ perivascular astrocytes within the NAGM of a MS patient with a blood vessel contacting process (J, L, arrow). K, L, ZO-1 immunoreactivity displayed a continuous but more diffuse expression pattern in the NAGM of MS patients. EC, Eriochrome cyanine. Scale bars: A, B, 800 μm; C, 25 μm; D–F, 10 μm; G–L, 15 μm. A, B, and J–L are from case MS125; C–F are from case MS106; G–I are from case CO41.