Increased activation of Iba1+ microglia in pediatric epilepsy patients with Rasmussen's encephalitis compared with cortical dysplasia and tuberous sclerosis complex

Microgliosis is prominent in Rasmussen's encephalitis (RE), a disease with severe seizure activity. However, it is unclear if microglial activation is similar with different histopathologic substrates. Iba1-immunolabelled microglial activation was assessed in neocortex from pediatric epilepsy surgery patients with RE (n = 8), cortical dysplasia (CD; n = 6) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC; n = 6). Microglial reactivity was increased, in severely affected RE areas (29% labeling) compared with minimally affected areas of RE cases (15%) and cases of TSC (14%) and CD (12%). There was no qualitative association of Iba1 immunolabelling with the presence of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells and no statistical association with clinical epilepsy variables, such as seizure duration or frequency. Iba1 appears to be an excellent marker for detecting extensive microglial activation in patients with RE. In addition, this study supports the notion that Iba1-labeled microglial activation is increased in patients with active RE, compared with cases of CD and TSC.