Gene expression analysis of TSC-tubers reveals increased expression of adhesion and inflammatory factors

Cortical tubers in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are associated with cognitive disability and intractable epilepsy. While these developmental malformations are believed to result from the effects of TSC1 or TSC2 Gene mutations, the molecular mechanisms leading to tuber formation during brain development as well as the onset of seizures remain largely unknown. We used the Affymetrix Gene Chip platform as a genome-wide strategy to define the Gene expression profile of cortical tubers resected during epilepsy surgery compared to histologically normal perituberal tissue (adjacent to the cortical tuber) from the same patients or autopsy control tissue. Gene expression profiles of cortical tubers were compared with autopsy control specimens and perituberal tissue from the same patients.