Abstract
The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the perivascular glia of the developing human retina was studied immunohistochemically in 22 normal eyes. Retinas were stained with anti-GFAP antibody using the labelled streptavidin-biotin method. The GFAP-positive perivascular glial cells were first observed in the human retina at 24 gestational weeks near the optic disc. As the retina matured, the intensity of GFAP immunoreactivity increased until full term. The GFAP immunoreactivity was most intense around large vessels near the optic disc and diminished with decreasing vascular caliber and increasing distance from the optic disc. Our results support the concepts that in the developing human retina, GFAP-positive perivascular glial cells first appear at 24 gestational weeks and that the human retina contains perivascular glial cells.
